


Famous Last Words

by LazyDaizy



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, F/M, Famous Jughead, Strangers to Lovers, Vacation Fling, beach, betty sings, kids aren't in it till the last bit, matchmaker Reggie, not a slow burn, sexy cabana ;), widow betty with kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-04-07 19:10:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 90,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14087712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyDaizy/pseuds/LazyDaizy
Summary: Betty Cooper: small town young widow, mother of twin girls, sings every night for two weeks at her uncle’s ultra exclusive resort that caters to the rich and famous, in exchange for a free, blissful, much needed vacation, alone and away from everyone and everything.Jughead Jones: world famous writer, photographer, actor, model, on vacation to clear his head and decide what career choices he wants to continue in and what he wants to step away from because he no longer feels fulfilled and satisfied with his life going in all directions.The attraction is instant.She resists.He pursues.Their worlds are so far apart, it can’t be anything more than a secret vacation romance. Will Betty let her guard down and let loose and do something wild and reckless simply because she wants to with no regrets? Will Jughead go through with his seduction of the lonely widow without feeling guilty at offering nothing more than a hidden vacation fling with someone who lives in the spotlight?Sun, sand, sea, seduction.What could possibly go wrong?





	1. Jughead Fucking Jones

Betty Cooper stood with her toes curling into the sand beneath her feet. Jade Springs Resort and Spa. A place she could never afford in a million years if not for the fact that her uncle owned it. Well, he wasn’t technically her uncle, but Alistair McGreggor had been a family friend since she was a baby and he was as close as any family by blood was. The fact of the matter was, he liked the way she sang and every year for the last 5 years, he had invited her to stay for two full weeks, completely free of charge, if she would only sing in the lounge every evening for an hour. The same two weeks that he and his wife were at the resort. Betty happily accepted.

The resort was ultra-exclusive and only catered to about 30 guests at one time. It was so exclusive that one just didn’t take a vacation at Jade Springs if you weren’t somebody rich or famous. If you weren’t a ‘somebody’, you didn't vacation there. The resort took such great pride in the privacy of its guests that if they didn’t wish to hand over their cell phone when they checked in, they had to pay a huge extra cost and everyone had to sign a privacy agreement. If anything leaked, they would pay. 

It wasn’t just 5 star, it had been given the diamond award of excellence for every year that it had been open. And it was beautiful. A small island in the Caribbean, that was lush and stunning and the weather was almost always perfect. Guests stayed in their own private beach cottages and chalets, depending on what they wanted to spend, with 24 hour room or cleaning service. Betty also got her very own. Her’s was of course smaller and was considered a guest cottage for family but she got all the same 5 star treatment.  
Every cottage had access to the beach but were nestled in their own small paradise of palm trees with privacy all around with enough distance between each so nobody could hear or see anything.

Betty sat down in the sand and gazed out over the water. She had arrived early that morning from Riverdale and had till tomorrow evening to relax and enjoy herself before she had to sing. She had spent most of the day lounging by the massive pool area near the main building and she actually found it humorous that there was a collection of amazing pools about 100 feet from the Caribbean sea, but she did enjoy the pool more than the warm waters of the beach because, well, there was no danger of running into something slimy in the water. She looked forward to this every year, two weeks to herself without her mother breathing down her neck, without her friends trying to get her to date, without all the stress of life weighing her down. She could just relax and not worry. Although she still did worry about things, there was nothing she could do about it so far from home so she just allowed herself to enjoy her vacation and tried not to feel guilty about it.

After a while of soaking in the hot sun, she got up and walked back towards her cottage. It was the one closest to the main building and all the other amenities and she smiled when she looked around her. It was so beautiful here and she was going to enjoy every minute of her vacation. She looked down the beach and saw a few guests setting up for soaking in some sun and she wondered who they were. She also smiled at all the cabanas set everywhere. You could undo the ties and close the curtains on them and she always wondered how many guests dared to have fun in them. She was always curious who she would be singing to every year. The rich she didn’t really know, but once in a while some famous musician or actor/actress walked in where she was singing and she always had to work to keep from passing out in anxiety and excitement. Especially if they were famous singers, she always felt so inadequate but she never got anything except praise for her singing.

The cottage was beautiful and rich and she felt so completely out of place in it but she still grinned whenever she walked into it. With its dark wood finishes and lush carpets and hardwood floors, a fire place in the master suite and one in the living room that was two sided and could be enjoyed from the outside. Everything was decadent and luxurious and for two weeks every year, she let herself pretend her life was perfect and she didn’t have a care in the world. 

Betty walked into the master suite and started to sort through the outfits she was going to wear on stage. Something else provided by her ‘uncle’ with the help of his wife. Betty had spent a month looking over pictures she had been sent and chosen her outfits and after giving her measurements, the woman had made sure they were all here and ready for her when she arrived. Betty was allowed to keep them if she wanted but she usually only took a couple that could be worn on a night out in Riverdale, if the opportunity ever arose. She hadn't done much going out in the last 4 years and she didn’t know when she would. She was 24 and felt like she was going on 50.

She walked into the large ensuite and stood in front of the marble vanity and gazed at herself in the mirror. She looked tired and worn out and was once again grateful to be able to come here and relax, even if she did have to work an hour a day. The sparkling flicker in the mirror as the light hit her ring caused her to look down and sigh at the diamond rings that she wore on her finger. She twisted them a while as she studied them and then focused once again on her face. She was hungry and in need of something to drink and rather than order room service, she would go to one of the restaurants near the pools. 

Betty took a quick shower in the massive glass enclosed stall and when she was done she put on minimal makeup, threw her hair up in a messy bun and slipped into a short light green strappy sundress and headed out to eat. She didn’t mind being alone since she was never alone at home and she grabbed a book on the way out the door so she could catch up on a little reading while she ate. She headed to the lounge where she would be singing after deciding she just wanted one of their amazing turkey avocado sandwiches and a fruity cocktail. She walked in and headed over to sit by the bar and smiled at the man pouring the drinks.

“Well, well, Miss Betty Cooper. It’s good to see you again, how are you?”

“Hi Reggie,” she smiled as she waved away the small menu he tried to hand to her. Reggie Mantle was also from Riverdale and had taken the job to bar tend here at the resort after Alistair had seen him do his fancy pouring tricks at the local uppity bar in Riverdale and had offered him a job, thinking it would entertain his guests. Reggie, ever the adventure seeker had immediately accepted, packed his bags and moved himself in within a week. On the none resort side of the Island was where the workers lived and Reggie hadn’t left the island in 3 years. He had been just 22 when he’d left home and Betty had to admit, this lifestyle suited him. “I’ll have one of those turkey avocado sandwiches please and something really strong to drink.”

“Ahhhh, hitting the poison early, are we?” Reggie asked with a laugh as he punched in her order. It would go to kitchen computer and probably be in front of her in mere minutes. 

“I haven’t had a good drink in so long, I can’t even remember. Surprise me with all the island has to offer in a drink,” she said with a grin. Reggie went about whipping her up something very colorful and frozen and when he handed it to her in a tall glass, she took a sip and let out a sigh of happiness. “Good Lord, this is good. What’s in it?”

“Can’t tell you,” he grinned. “It’s the surprise special tonight and only yours truly knows. Drink up, I might make you another.” Betty smiled and took another sip. “So really, how are you doing?” he asked softly, his eyes glancing down at her hand. “I see you still haven’t made up your mind.”

“It keeps the pigs at bay,” Betty said with a shrug as she played with the rings. “I don’t have time for a man.”

“Jesus Betty, make time. He’s been gone for 3 years and you need to live a little.”

“I do live Reggie, a little too much sometimes,” she said with a sigh. “Really though, I don’t have time for a man. I have two precious souls to think about, not some guy.” Her sandwich showed up right then and Reggie grabbed the plate from the kitchen staff and set it in front of her. “What about you? You have anyone special yet? Is there anyone to choose from on this island besides guests looking to lay the bartender?” she asked with a laugh.

“Well, now, you say that like it’s a bad thing,” he said with a wink.

“You know, I like you a lot better down here in the Caribbean, much better than back home,” Betty said around a mouthful of sandwich.

“In Riverdale, I’m misunderstood,” Reggie explained.

“In Riverdale you’re an asshole,” she said bluntly. Reggie laughed and threw an olive at her. 

“I like you better here too, Cooper. You leave your bullshit goodie two shoes façade at home.” Betty rolled her eyes and took another bite of her sandwich.

“So, we have anyone famous that I know around here right now?” she asked as she ate.

“That’s privileged information darlin’,” he smirked. 

“I work here too dumb ass, now spill,” Betty sighed.

“Just the usual rich bankers and what not. A couple of celebrities. A few left today and I’m not really sure who’s still around. Couple more will be in tomorrow,” he said with a shrug. She smiled and shook her head. He talked like he wasn’t even affected any more by the famous people he met on a monthly basis. For her it was a treat, as she only got to experience it for a couple of weeks each year. She finished her sandwich and sighed happily at the thought of not having to do any dishes for the next fourteen days.

“Can I get another one of these fancy drinks? I’m going to take it to my cottage, so put it in one of those fancy plastic cups,” she requested. Reggie made her another drink and handed it to her and she smiled her thanks and headed out of the lounge. As she rounded the corner to head outside she collided with a hard chest and promptly spilled her drink all over herself. She gasped as the icy liquid hit her chest and soaked through her dress, the cup dropping to the floor.

“Oh shit,” she exclaimed, jumping back and pulling her dress away from her skin, looking for some kind of relief from the cold.

“God, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” the soft husky voice pulling her eyes up from the mess of her dress. Her gaze collided with a startling shade of blue. She was looking at none other than world famous celebrity Jughead Jones. God, he was even more good looking in real life. “I’m….I didn’t….” he stumbled over his words as their eyes held and she couldn’t seem to look away. “Sorry about that,” he said softly, finally finding his voice.

“It’s okay,” she said quickly, her voice sounding a little strangled. The icy spill didn’t feel so cold anymore, in fact, she felt quite hot and God, he just kept staring at her. 

“Well, listen, let me buy you another?” he suggested, motioning to the lounge. 

“I…no, really it’s okay. I should go get myself cleaned up,” she said hurriedly.

“Maybe later then?” he asked inquisitively. “We could meet up…or….” Betty shook her head and once again pulled her dress away from her skin as it was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable. She noticed his gaze settle on her hand and the ring on her finger and he gave her a small smile.

“It’s really alright,” she said quickly, suddenly feeling embarrassed and quickly lowering her hand, curling her fingers inward.

“Okay,” he said as he took a step back. “I’m sorry again.” Betty gave him a shaky smile and hurried around him and out of the building. She made quick time to her cottage and once inside, she closed the door and leaned against it, taking deep breaths.

“Holy shit,” she whispered, her heart feeling like it was going to pound out of her chest. Of all the celebrities that she had seen here, he was the last one she expected to see. The Hollywood crowd that usually frequented the resort were older and had been in the business for years. It was a resort where they came to relax and lay low and stay completely private. It wasn’t a resort frequented by the young stars of Hollywood. Not that he was so young, Wikipedia put him at 27, but still, he was so popular and was literally everywhere, Betty figured he would go where the action and parties and paparazzi were. Isn’t that what they did? Go where you were seen so you could stay relevant?

Betty went into the bedroom and stripped out of her soaked dress and hopped in the shower to get clean and wash away the sticky residue. When she was finished, she slipped into a silk night shirt and went to her bags and fished through the one she would use for the beach and pulled out her reading material. Magazines that she had bought at the airport. She had bought one gossip rag simply because Jughead Jones had been on the cover. The man was insanely hot and she was only human, she did sometimes like to ogle hot celebs and read about their lives as a guilty pleasure. She went and curled up outside on a lounge chair to watch the sun set and catch up on her gossip. 

Betty opened the magazine and flipped to the pages that had whatever article they had written about him. It was about his next big movie set to release in 5 months and all the questions that came with it. One sentence in particular stuck out at her.

_Although Jones dodged questions about his Ex Sabrina Spellman and the nasty split that had accusations of cheating on both sides, he did say he ‘wished her well’._

Betty remembered when the news had broken that he had split with his long time girlfriend and it had been ugly. She had accused him of cheating and he insisted that she was the one who cheated and while he had gone silent after a month or so of the news breaking, she had kept at it in the press until he had spoken up again and threatened to release some recording he had of her that was private and she had gone silent after that. Whatever was on that recording, it was obviously damaging. Sabrina was in the industry as well, in public relations. Her firm had many powerful celebrity clients and she obviously didn’t want to lose any and had finally stopped her mud slinging.

Betty stared at the various pictures on him for a while and yes, he was definitely better looking in person. God, what kind of idiot would cheat on Jughead Jones when the man was in love with you? Granted, she had no idea who was telling the truth, her or him, but as she and Veronica and their other girlfriends at home had always assumed, of course she was the one who cheated, he was too perfect to do something like that. Betty rolled her eyes as she remembered their staunch defense of him, even though they literally didn’t know a real thing about him, in their minds, he was hot and was therefore innocent.

She put the magazine down after letting out a huge yawn and decided to call it a night. The flight had been early and she had been up since 3:30 in the morning and tomorrow was her first evening singing and she just wanted to get some rest. She secured the place and went and climbed into the enormous bed with its exotic sheets and extreme comfort mattress and sank in as comfortably as she could get and closed her eyes. She fell asleep with a pair of ocean blue eyes dancing in her head.

 

Jughead sat on the couch of his chalet, stretched out, legs sprawling in front of him, his head back against the cushions, staring at the ceiling. He felt like his life was spinning and going in all directions and he needed to reign something in. He had chosen the Jade Springs Resort at the suggestion of one of his co-stars in the movie he had just finished shooting, saying it was ultra private, he wouldn’t be disturbed or photographed and he would be able to do some thinking and clear his brain of cobwebs. While he was giving this _thinking_ his best shot, a pair of emerald green eyes and long killer legs kept disrupting the process.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered, dragging his hands over his face and letting out a frustrated sigh. He had never in his life been affected by a woman the second he had looked at her and this blonde with the green eyes had been running around in his brain ever since he had spilled her drink all over her the day before. And to make matters worse, she was married. He was no home wrecker but fuck, if he saw her again and she wanted to have an affair, he may just let her. Jughead rolled his eyes at himself and gave himself a shake and focused back on his problem.

He got up and walked over to the glass wall and hit the button on the end and watched the entire thing slide open and basically opening his chalet as if he was outside. He walked over to the edge of the balcony and looked down to the beach. His sister had booked him the most expensive of all the chalets at the resort and it was the most secluded, up a steep incline from the rest and nestled in palm trees with a vast balcony looking out over the water. It was beautiful and while it cost a ridiculous amount of money, not to mention the extra he had to pay to keep his damn cell phone, it was exactly what he needed.

He looked at his phone and saw it was almost 7:00 and decided to head to the main building to the lounge and have something to eat. He had met the bartender the night before and he had been a cheerful chatty guy and he had enjoyed talking to him. Reggie, if he remembered correctly had informed him that there was going to be live singing every night starting today and that the singer was amazing. He threw on a pair of khaki shorts and a light button down shirt and headed to lounge, foregoing the golf cart type vehicle in favor of walking down the beach. It was only a 10 minute walk but he figured for anyone who didn’t like walking, the cart was a good option. When he got to the lounge he made his way over to the end of the bar and sat down and smiled at Reggie who walked right over.

“What can I get you?” the man asked.

“Scotch rocks, please,” Jughead said, his eyes travelling around the room. He went still when they settled on the person sitting at the opposite end of the bar, seeming completely lost in thought. It was the same blonde he had bumped into yesterday and she was even more beautiful today then he remembered. He furrowed his brow and watched in confusion as she played with the rings that the previous day had been on her finger. Today she was bouncing it around on the bar top like it was a toy, twirling it around on the end of her finger before letting it drop and covering it with her hand. Reggie placed his drink in front of him and he nodded his thanks.

“You know anything about her?” Jughead asked after taking a sip, nodding down to the woman. Reggie smiled and picked up a rag and started wiping the bar top.

“The lovely Miss Betty Cooper.”

“Miss? Divorced?” he asked, ignoring the odd flare of hope that shivered through him.

“Widowed,” Reggie said softly.

“Oh,” Jughead said, feeling a hint of regret at that. There was no way he was going to approach a widow. “Recent?”

“Nah, it’s been like three years,” Reggie said with a smile. Jughead looked at him in surprise. 

“Seriously? How old is she?” She seemed way too young to have been widowed that long.

“She’s 24, wasn’t married long,” he said with a shrug.

“She must have really loved him to be still wearing the ring,” Jughead observed. Reggie studied him for a minute, a smirk on his face.

“You interested?” he asked with a grin. Jughead raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “I’m just asking because you can’t seem to stop staring. She is beautiful, isn’t she? And yes, I’m sure she loved her husband but that’s not why she wears the ring.” That was all the man offered as he walked down the bar a ways to help someone who had just sat. Jughead sat sipping his drink and continued to watch her when she suddenly lifted her gaze and their eyes locked and held. She quickly looked down and her hand curled around the ring that had been sitting on the bar top. Reggie came back his way and held up the bottle of scotch and Jughead nodded for the refill. 

“You want anything to eat?”

“Sure, that gourmet burger I had yesterday was pretty amazing, I’ll have another one of those and some fries.” Reggie punched the order into the till and charged his chalet. “So, why does she wear the ring?” Jughead asked curiously, annoyed with the fact that he couldn’t seem to keep from looking at her. He wondered for a second if she knew who he was. He let out a sigh. Yes, she probably knew and this was one of those moments where he wished he wasn’t who he was.

“Because she has a full busy life and she uses it as a shield of sorts, to keep men away because she claims she doesn’t have time for a relationship,” Reggie offered with a smile. Jughead looked at him in surprise. 

“Okay, I know I asked but that’s a lot of personal information you just gave you,” he said with a small laugh. “You know her well?”

“Yeah, we grew up together, small town USA, her uncle owns this resort and lets her vacation here for free in return for a favor and as for the info, I’m just making conversation,” the man smirked. He walked off again and Jughead squinted after him, trying to figure out just what he was about. He looked back to the woman, Betty, and found her watching him. He lifted his glass in a salute of sorts and her eyes dropped again and he took a sip of his drink to hide his smile. So, a widow for three years. Wearing a ring to give the allusion that she was unavailable. He decided that maybe Ms. Betty Cooper needed to let loose and have a little fun.

She got up suddenly and took one last sip of whatever was in her glass and walked away from the bar. He watched her and was surprised when she walked over to where the stage was and walked up the stairs and walked over to the musicians that had assembled there. She was the singer. A vacation in return for a favor. Family or not, the amount of money to stay here bordered on obscene and if she got to stay for free, she must be one hell of a singer. Reggie walked over to him and leaned against the bar.

“She’s got great legs, huh?” he asked with a grin. Jughead couldn’t quite figure him out. It was almost like the man was trying to convince him to pursue her. He didn’t say anything, just kept watching her and he was right, she did have great legs and the short loose fitting flowy white dress she was wearing showed them off in the sexiest way. “People are always surprised when she starts singing and every day more and more people show up for the hour that she performs and by her last day, it always seems like every guest at the resort is in here for the final show,” Reggie told him with a smile.

When the music started and Betty Cooper opened her mouth and started to sing, Jughead felt his gut clench like he had never felt before, for any reason. Her husky sultry tone was like a lover’s caress in a passionate moment and his entire body reacted. He sat mesmerized as she sang, barely noticed when Reggie placed his food in front of him.

“Why the hell isn’t she famous and at the top of the charts?” Jughead asked him in complete seriousness.

“Because she doesn’t want to be,” Reggie said with a shrug.

“What do you mean?”

“She doesn’t want that kind of life, she likes her privacy. Plus she’s got two other reasons to not be in the spotlight and that drives every decision she makes.” Reggie walked away before Jughead could ask what he meant. He ate his food while he listened to her and a few times during the session, her eyes found his and when she caught his gaze she would quickly look away again and once or twice he heard the quiver in her voice. When the session ended an hour later, he wished she would sing more. He understood now what Reggie meant about the more she sang the more people showed up. He would definitely show up again, probably every night that she was here.

“She’ll be sitting down for her cup of tea now that she always has after to soothe her throat,” Reggie said with a knowing look as he went about getting it ready. Okay, Jughead thought, the man was definitely encouraging him to talk to her. Why, he didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to disappoint him. It took her a while to get back to the bar because she was approached by people who told her they enjoyed her singing and when she finally sat down, she smiled gratefully at Reggie who had her tea waiting for her. She had a cell phone with her and seemed busy replying to something on it and he decided to just dive right in. He got up and walked to her end of the bar.

“You sing beautifully,” he said softly when he was beside her. She jumped and turned to look at him so fast, she almost fell off her stool. “Careful,” he said quickly, his hand catching her elbow. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” Her gaze lowered to his hand and he quickly dropped it and put it in his pocket. “Is it alright if I sit here?”

“Sure,” she said slowly, seeming startled that he wanted to. This was his life. Famous actor trying to talk to people and they seemed startled that he would want to. He hated it.

“I thought maybe I could buy you that drink now,” he offered with a smile. “Or your tea?”

“Oh…I…I don’t actually pay for the drinks I have,” she admitted sheepishly.

“Figures,” he said with a laugh, feeling an odd flutter in his chest at her wide eyed gaze. Her eyes were stunning. “You really have a beautiful voice,” he said again as he sat on the stool next to her. 

“Thank you,” she said with a flush, which to him only made her prettier. He was starting to get irritated with himself. He was reacting like an idiot teenager with a crush. A text came through on her phone and she quickly answered it and set it down and his eyes caught sight of her background picture. Two adorable faces grinning for the shot. They looked to be around two or three. _She’s got two other reasons to not be in the spotlight and that drives every decision she makes._ They looked just like her except for the slightly darker skin tone and tight blonde curls vs her soft waves. She had kids.

“They’re beautiful,” he said softly, motioning to her phone. She looked down and quickly turned her phone over.

“Thank you,” she replied quietly.

“So, how long are staying at the resort?” he asked curiously. She let out a breath and smiled a little stiffly.

“Two weeks and then I go back to my normal and simple life of working, paying bills and trying to raise two beautiful little angels. I enjoy my time here because once I leave, I don’t have much time for fantasy or screwing around.” She said it softly but Jughead felt completely told off. God, he hated his life sometimes. He stood and offered her a smile.

“I just wanted you to know that you sing beautifully and I really am sorry about spilling your drink yesterday,” he said softly. She seemed surprised again and gave a quick nod. "Have a wonderful night," he said and turned and walked away. Jughead felt like an idiot and kind of like an ass. He’d gotten so used to girls falling all over themselves whenever he gave them the time of day, a small part of him thought, or rather hoped, she would do the same. He’d chalk it up as a lesson in humility and a slight deflation of his apparent ego. He gave a small wave to Reggie and headed out of the lounge and back to his chalet.

 

Betty watched him leave and felt completely flustered. She wasn’t sure what exactly had just happened.

“What the hell Cooper? Jughead fucking Jones sits down next to you at a bar and a minute later you send him running like a puppy with his tail between his legs?” Betty looked at Reggie and gave a small shake of her head.

“I was….I just….”

“What did you say to him?”

“I was…okay I….I may have said I had no time for fantasy or screwing around?” she said with a grimace.

“Jesus Christ, Betty, that’s exactly what you fucking need to make time for,” Reggie said with a roll of his eyes.

“Excuse me?” she asked, sputtering around her sip of tea.

“When’s the last time you got laid?” he asked.

“What the hell Reggie,” she snapped. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Because you’re wound tighter than a nun at an orgy,” he muttered.

“Okay, seriously? I’m fine.”

“You need to let loose and have a little fun.”

“And just who am I supposed to have fun with? Jughead Jones?” she asked with a laugh. “Yeah, that’s not very likely. He’s a freaking super star and I’m literally nobody. I seriously doubt he would have any interest in doing anything with me.”

“Yeah? You sure about that? The guy didn’t take his eyes off you the entire time he was in here,” Reggie said with a smirk.

“Why?” she asked in surprise.

“Christ Betty, don’t you ever look in the fucking mirror,” he asked with a sigh. “You happen to be gorgeous.”

“Well, what does that have to do with anything? And stop saying ‘fuck’,” she added.

“Gee, I don’t know, a lot?”

“That’s shallow,” she insisted with a glare.

“No, that’s the truth. You telling me that the way Jughead Jones looks does nothing for you?”

“Whether it does or not, it doesn’t matter in the least. I’m going home at the end of next week.”

“Yeah, that’s the point,” Reggie said with a wink.

“Are you seriously suggesting that I try and have meaningless sex with Jughead Jones? Movie star, model, whatever the hell else he is that I can’t remember, that Jughead Jones?”

“Exactly,” Reggie said with a grin.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” she muttered.

“Don’t say fuck,” he laughed.

“Shut up.”

 

Betty lay in bed later that night and stared at the ceiling. She listened to the waves crashing on the shore a few hundred yards from her cottage and let out a long sigh. She thought about what Reggie had said and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t noticed Jughead Jones’ eyes on her while she sang. It had unnerved her, the intensity of his gaze and then when he approached her she had been so flabbergasted, she had acted like a complete idiot. Jughead Jones. Jughead fucking Jones, as Reggie liked to say. She grabbed the magazine laying on the bedside table and looked at him gracing the cover. People had no idea how good looking he really was. Up close and personal, he was so hot, it almost hurt to look at him. And she had blown him off when he was just trying to have a conversation with her. No, Reggie wasn’t the fucking idiot. She was.


	2. Normal

When Betty woke the next morning, it was still pretty early and she decided to go for a walk on the beach. It was already quite warm and she pulled on some loose shorts and a tank top and headed down the beach at a slow pace. She loved the sound of the ocean and the peace of the quiet morning when the resort was just waking up. She hadn’t slept that great, waking up too many times and her mind immediately wandering to Jughead Jones. She was annoyed with Reggie for putting stupid thoughts in her head. That he actually thought she should pursue some kind of fling with the celebrity was ridiculous. 

Betty didn’t have flings. She barely had relationships. Her husband had been only the second guy she had ever dated and the first one she had slept with and after only the third time sleeping together, she found herself pregnant. She had been shocked and terrified but he had stepped up and taken care of his responsibility and when he had asked her to marry him, Betty honestly had felt like there was no other option. She had liked him a lot, maybe even loved him and it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Then he had left her, just like that. Left for work one morning and an hour later, he had been gone.

Now here she was, on a much needed vacation after wrangling two beautiful little spitfires and Reggie was making her think impossible things. Jughead Jones. Reggie had been right, the man had barely taken his eyes off of her during her performance and it unnerved her in a way she couldn’t explain. She didn’t really understand it. Maybe it was this place and yes, she did go all out with the hair and makeup and her beautiful outfits when she sang, but none of it was real. The two weeks that she was here wasn’t real and when she got back home she would revert back into exhausted single mother with stained shirts and hair in a ponytail and too tired most days to even think. That person she was pretty sure Jughead Jones would have zero interest in.

She did realize though, that at the very least, she owed him an apology. He really had been very sweet the previous night, and while she had been completely shocked that he had approached her and hadn’t quite known how to react, she could have been nicer. Betty sighed and turned back around to head back, realizing she had walked almost half a mile. She decided she would apologize and leave it at that. There was no sense in even flirting with the idea of even talking to the man beyond that. She had read all the magazines and gossip rags and while she knew she probably shouldn’t believe most of what she read, the last couple of years after his breakup he had become known as a playboy, seen and photographed with many women and she really just had no time or mindset to possibly become another one. If that was even a possibility. She had no interest in being a vacation fling for Jughead Jones. Or any other man.

When Betty got back to her cottage, she took a quick shower as the warm day and walk in the sand had covered her in sweat. She ordered breakfast and was again amazed at the efficiency of the resort as there was a knock at the door only 20 minutes later. As she ate she paged through the latest handbook and looked at all the activities available for guests and decided to just relax by the pool and get to work on her tan. She usually spent the first few days just settling in and relaxing before heading out for some water fun or anything else that required more movement than just laying on a lounge chair.

She was tempted to text home and see how the girls were doing but refrained. It was a rule that Veronica, who was taking care of them for her, had made. She wasn’t allowed to check in for at least 3 days and if there was an emergency, she would call her. She sighed and grabbed one of her books and curled up on the couch for a while to read, foregoing the pool going until later. 

It was two in the afternoon when she finally ended up going, having gotten lost in her book. She grabbed her beach/pool bag after putting on a simple and modest black bathing suit and a white cover up and headed to the pools. She walked around a bit looking for the perfect spot, which there were a lot of because there seemed to be only about 5 people in the pool area. She glanced around and went still when she saw Jughead sitting in one of the lounge chairs. He had the lounge at a half lean and was reading a book, his legs straddling the long chair, his feet planted on the pool deck on either side. She took a deep breath and headed in his direction. Now was a good a time as any, she thought.  
“  
Hey,” she said softly when she was next to him. He looked up in surprise and quickly pulled himself to a sitting position. She tried to ignore the fact that his shirt was unbuttoned, giving her an unobstructed view of his sexy torso. Of course she had seen it enough times in a magazine, but again, in person this man looked like sin.

“Hi,” he replied, pulling off his sunglasses.

“I um….I wanted to apologize,” Betty said shakily. “I owe you an apology for last night.”

“Oh, no, it’s really…” he started.

“No, I was a bit of a bitch and I’m sorry, I was just surprised when you …” she trailed off.

“Talked to you?” he offered with a sigh. “Yeah, I get that a lot.” Betty wasn’t sure what to make of that so she just nodded.

“Well, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry,” she said again and turned to leave.

“Wait,” he spoke quickly. She paused and looked at him. “Why don’t you sit down here? You look like you’re staying by the pool and I’d love the company,” he said with a smile. Betty looked around nervously and felt suddenly awkward.

“I don’t think….”

“Please?” he interrupted, his face looking hopeful. He motioned to the lounge beside him and she sat slowly, holding his gaze. He sighed and turned, swinging his leg around so he was sitting sideways on the lounge facing her. “Okay, can we just pretend that I’m not Jughead Jones and I’m just some random guy who isn’t famous and doesn’t make you nervous?” he asked. 

“That’s impossible,” Betty said with a little laugh as she reached for her bag. “You’re literally on the cover of my pool side reading material,” she sighed as she pulled out the magazine she had. She noticed Jughead biting back a smile as he looked at himself on the cover. “So, yeah, I can’t pretend you aren’t Jughead Jones.”

“So, tell me Betty,” Jughead began with a mischievous smirk, which caused her lungs to squeeze up on her. “Do you buy a magazine because of the content or who’s on the cover?” He was teasing and the twinkle in his eye made her heart hammer in her chest. Her blush was the only answer he needed and he grinned and winked at her. “I don’t bite, I promise” he said softly.

“That’s not what the girl in Paris said,” Betty couldn’t help but say, a smile twitching on her lips as she remembered a rather juicy piece of gossip from the previous year.

“Christ,” he muttered as he wiped a hand over his face. “Okay, that never happened.” 

“Really?” Betty asked, crossing her legs and resting her elbow on her knee. “Do tell.”

“You want to quiz me on what gossip is true and what isn’t?” he asked laughing.

“Just that particular incident,” Betty grinned. Jughead chewed on the corner of his lip for a moment and then tilted his head as he regarded her.

“Okay, how about, I tell you what really happened and you stay here and keep me company for a couple of hours,” he suggested.

“Deal,” she agreed immediately. She didn’t bother telling him she was going to stay anyway. I mean, who wouldn’t want to sit next to a hot guy all afternoon who seemed to really want you around, she thought.

“Okay, the girl in Paris,” he began and then he paused and rolled his eyes. “That was a month after….” He trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Your breakup?” she offered.

“Yes,” he sighed. “I was in Paris on a photoshoot and I was angry and upset still and I decided, like an idiot, to go out and get drunk to forget all the bullshit and ended up going home with this girl. Not something I really ever do, but I wasn’t exactly in a sane state of mind,” he grimaced. “We got back to her shitty apartment and she started kissing me and I was pretty drunk and of course started losing clothes and I was down to my boxers and thats when I threw up all over her floor and pretty much passed out on the couch right there. I woke up the next morning alone and my cash gone,” he sighed. “We never had sex and when I was passed out she took pictures and made up a bunch of lies about the wild sex we had and basically made a killing with her story. I didn’t bother denying it because honestly, there is no point most of the time. I’ve learned over time that to ignore bullshit rumors makes them fade out quicker than to constantly be on the defense.”

“So you never slept with her?”

“No and if I’m going to be honest, her making up a story about me being amazing in bed was better than if she’d actually showed what a fucking mess I was with my vomit on her floor from far too many tequila shots,” he said with a shrug. Betty leaned forward and squinted at him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth.

“She had bite marks.”

“Well, then she bit herself, because I certainly didn’t do it,” he laughed.

“Maybe you just don’t remember having sex,” she said slowly. He rested his forearms on his knees and leaned toward her as well and his eyes lowered past her chin and back up to settle on her mouth for a moment and then back to hold her gaze.

“I never forget having sex,” he said, his voice soft and teasing. Betty swallowed and lost her ability to breathe for a second. Dear God, Jughead Jones was flirting with her. She couldn’t seem to remember how to speak and when someone cleared their throat beside them she jumped and dropped the magazine. Jughead picked it up and handed it to her with another wink.

“Would either of you care for a drink?” the pool attendee asked. Betty turned to her and her mind went completely blank.

“Two of those frozen colorful things that Reggie in the lounge whips up, please,” Jughead answered for her and the lady hurried off to place their order. “I owe you a drink,” he said with a smile and Betty gave herself a mental shake.

“Can you button your shirt?” she suddenly blurted and then sighed at her idiocy.

“Why?” he asked in surprise.

“I can’t concentrate,” she muttered as she settled back in the lounge and stretched out her legs. She tried not to notice his eyes traveling slowly along their length. He laughed softly and leaned back on his chair and rested his hands behind his head, his feet crossed at the ankles.

“Why don’t you pursue singing?” he asked suddenly, glancing over at her. “You’re really amazing.”

“I don’t want that life,” she said with a shrug.

“Yeah, Reggie said as much.”

“Reggie talks too much,” Betty said with an eyeroll. “What other interesting tidbits did he drop on you in his dumb little game?” Betty sighed when she realized what she said. Jughead sat up suddenly and she felt like screaming at her stupid non filter.

“He is playing a game, isn’t he,” Jughead said with a smirk. “I knew I wasn’t imagining it. He practically shoved me in your direction,” he laughed.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “Don’t feel obligated to talk to me cause he’s an idiot.”

“Obligated? Why would I feel obligated to him? He just noticed my interest and encouraged me,” Jughead said with a smile.

“Your interest?” 

“Well, I was…..”

“Staring at me?” she offered.

“Yeah, something like that,” he chuckled.

“So what did he tell you?”

“Have dinner with me tonight and I’ll tell you,” Jughead said with a grin.

“Fine, don’t tell me,” Betty sighed and opened her magazine.

“You don’t want to have dinner with me?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Well, you might be in six to seven hours,” he laughed. Betty turned to study him for a moment.

“Did you cheat on your girlfriend?” she asked bluntly.

“I’ll tell you at dinner,” he shot back.

“Are you really trying to bribe me to have dinner with you by withholding information?” Betty asked.

“Is it working?”

“Nope,” she insisted and started paging through her magazine again. He sat back and grabbed the book he had with him and they sat in silence for a few minutes, each pretending to read. She chewed her lip trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make her sound like an idiot. While they were waiting each other out, their drinks arrived and she accepted it thankfully and took a sip.

“I didn’t cheat on her, she was cheating with my best friend for two years before I found out,” he said quietly, not looking up from his book. Betty slowly lowered her drink and looked at him. The sadness that flickered across his face for a moment told her he was telling the truth.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“It is what it is,” he said with a shrug. 

“So, why was she in the press for months accusing you of cheating and being a bad boyfriend?” Betty asked curiously and then grimaced. “I’m sorry, that’s none of my business,” she said quickly. Jughead looked at her and gave her a small smile.

“It’s okay,” he insisted. “She was angry. I mean, I may not have cheated on her with a woman, but in a sense I kind of did with my career. And she did think I was cheating at one point and even when I proved I wasn’t, she still liked to accuse me. I wasn’t around much and I took the relationship and her for granted and she found the attention I wasn’t giving her somewhere else.”

“That’s doesn’t excuse her,” Betty said softly.

“No, it doesn’t,” he said with a regretful smile. “So yeah, the press caught wind of the split and of course as you well know, it got kind of ugly.”

“She wasn’t very nice about you,” Betty noted.

“Well, honestly, a lot of what she supposedly said came from _sources_ that didn’t exist and there was a lot of lies. We were both angry yes, but half the things that were written weren’t true. In fact, most of what you read isn’t true,” he added.

“And that’s why I won’t ever pursue a career in music,” Betty said with a laugh. “I could never put my family through that.”

“The picture on your phone? Your daughters?”

“Yes,” Betty said softly, her eyes focusing on the water rippling in the pool. 

“How old are they? They are beautiful, by the way,” Jughead said with a smile.

“They’re almost 3.”

“Twins must be a lot of work,” he noted.

“Oh yes. This is a well earned vacation,” Betty laughed.

“I’m sorry you have to do it alone,” Jughead said quietly. Betty looked at him in surprise. 

“Reggie told me you’re a widow,” he said sheepishly.

“Of course he did,” she sighed.

“I did ask if you were divorced because he used the term ‘miss’ when saying your name. He corrected me.”

“So, you thought I was married and were asking about me?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. Jughead gave another sheepish look.

“You’re beautiful, I was curious,” he said honestly. Betty flushed and stared down at her magazine, trying to not freak out that Jughead Jones, literally the hottest guy on the planet at the moment thought she was beautiful.

“Well,” she began. “I guess now that all my questions are answered, I don’t have to go to dinner with you.” He chuckled and shrugged while she grinned at him. “So, what brings you here to the resort. It doesn’t seem like it would be your kind of place.”

“How do you figure?” he asked curiously.

“I have no idea to be honest. I’m making grand assumptions about what I think the Hollywood crowd likes and I just assumed you’d go where the parties are,” she laughed.

“Well, you’re wrong, this is exactly my kind of place, but I’m not telling you why I’m here unless you have dinner with me,” he said again. Betty sat up and swung her legs off the lounge and leaned her elbows on her knees and took a sip of her drink. He took the same position and she was extremely aware that their knees were only an inch apart.

“Why do you want to have dinner with me?” she asked, trying to concentrate but finding it exceedingly difficult as she stared into the blue of his eyes. My god, they were mesmerizing. 

“I find you interesting,” he offered.

“You know nothing about me,” she countered.

“I know you wear your wedding ring to keep men away from you.”

“I’m literally going to kill Reggie,” Betty sighed.

“Just dinner, keep me company, have a little fun?” Jughead suggested.

“Reggie tell you I need to have some fun?” she asked with a roll of her eyes.

“No, does he think that? He seems like a smart guy,” he smiled. There really was nothing more that Betty wanted then to go to dinner and have a great evening with Jughead Jones, but there was no point and she wasn’t going to start anything pointless.

“Look Jughead,” she began with a sigh. “I’m a single mother from small town USA and you’re a super star celebrity and I really have no idea why you’re showing any interest in me because I’m a literal nobody and while this may be the highlight of my sad little life, I just don’t see the point in even becoming friends because, well, what for? After next week we’ll never see each other again and this is a complete waste of time.” Again, as soon as she was done her speech, Betty felt like a complete bitch. She saw the confusion flicker across his face and the smile left his eyes.

“Wow,” he muttered. He ran a hand through his hair and grabbed his book. “I just…..I saw you and I thought you were beautiful and you didn’t seem all that impressed with who and what I was and I guess I just wanted to get to know a beautiful woman who seemed sweet and I just wanted to feel normal for once and just act like myself instead of some celebrity that nobody can relate to. I’m tired of people assuming that because I’m famous, I’m someone they can’t talk to or bother with and it’s either that or they want something from me. You didn’t seem like either of those people and I wanted more than anything to just be normal with you and get to know you and yes I know this is a short time frame, but I don’t understand why that would matter if we’re just hanging out.” 

“If it makes you feel any better, I’d react the same way with any other guy,” she said, suddenly feeling foolish and embarrassed.

“Yeah….” He muttered, not sounding like he believed her at all. He got up with a sigh and smiled stiffly at her and walked away. 

“Jesus Christ,” she groaned, lowering her head to her knees. Had she seriously told him off twice now? What the fuck was the matter with her? So what if it was only for a couple of weeks? Even if he had out right propositioned her for sex, here was a hot guy trying to get to know her and she was being an absolute idiot. She watched him leave and let out a sigh. She had clearly upset him and she suddenly realized that even though he was constantly surrounded by people and events and everything anybody could ever want, he was lonely because he couldn’t be himself. She got up and headed into the lounge and was happy to see that Reggie was on shift.

“Hey there,” he said with a smile and then frowned when he saw her dejected face. “What’s wrong?” Betty sat on a stool and sighed.

“Jughead asked me to have dinner with him and I told him off again,” she said unhappily. “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.”

“God, really?” Reggie asked with a frown. “What the hell do you have against having dinner with Jughead Jones?”

“See, that’s the problem,” Betty said pointing at him. “He wants me to think of him as this normal guy and just get to know him and I look at him and all I can’t think is ‘oh my God, I’m talking to Jughead Jones’. And once that thought is in my head, all I can think is how pointless this all is and why the hell would he want to talk to me and that’s pretty much what he told me he hates about his life. That people treat him different.”

“Betty…” Reggie begain with a sigh.

“No,” she interrupted. “It’s hard okay. I haven’t had any guy show any interest in my in 3 damn years and now someone does and it’s a fucking hot celebrity? Can you not see why my brain is freaking out on me? I mean, the way he looks at me, it’s like he….”

“Like he wants you?” Reggie asked with a smile.

“Yes, exactly. And why the hell would he want me?”

“Jesus Christ, do we really need to have this conversation again?” Reggie asked. “Let me explain a little something to you. You’re hot Betty. I don’t know why you don’t notice that when you look in the mirror, but you’re beautiful and men stare at you all the time, you just don’t notice. Just because Jughead is a celebrity and just because he’s famous doesn’t mean he’s fucking blind. I don’t think he gives two shits about what your station in life is. All he’s thinking is how hot your legs are and how beautiful your smile is. He saw you, he was attracted to you and he wants to get to know you, and yes, the fact that you’re not falling all over yourself and trying to get in his pants like most women probably do with him makes you even more attractive probably. You’re normal. The guy wants normal. What in God’s name is bad about that?”

“But what’s the point Reggie?”

“The point is, you claim to have no time for a man and while that may be true, you’re alone here for two weeks with no responsibility what so ever, and yes, once you get back to life it will be different, but while you’re here, you have all the time in the world and you can actually have what you think you can’t have at home, a guy fawning all over you. Fucking let him!” Reggie all but yelled.

“Jesus, calm down,” she muttered. “Why the hell do you care so much?”

“Because when you walked in here the other day, you looked exhausted and tired and in desperate need of letting loose and having fun. Can you please allow yourself that luxury? Just once, stop thinking sensibly and just let everything go and have some fun.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m sure he doesn’t want to talk to me anymore,” she sighed. “In fact, I think I hurt his feelings.” Reggie walked over to the computer and pulled up some files and came back to her.

“He’s got a reservation at the greek restaurant tonight for 8:30,” he said with a smile. “After you’re done singing later, get some more use out of whatever gorgeous dress you’ll be wearing and go have dinner with him.”

“I’m pretty sure what you just did isn’t allowed,” Betty laughed. Reggie shrugged and winked at her.

 

Later that evening as she sang, she realized Jughead wasn’t in the lounge and she was disappointed. He kept saying she sang beautifully and a small part of her had hoped he would come hear her again. When she was finished her set, she left the stage and walked over to the bar where Reggie handed her her tea and she took a few sips as she gathered her thoughts. 

“I’m surprised he wasn’t here,” he commented softly, leaning against the bar. 

“Yeah, I was a bitch so I can understand why he wasn’t.”

“Well, I checked the restaurant site and it says reservation confirmed and filled, so he’s there….eating dinner….all alone….” 

“Okay, okay,” she said with a sigh. “What if he tells me off?”

“Then he’s an idiot,” Reggie smiled. 

“How do I look?” she asked, stepping back from the bar. She was wearing a deep navy sleeveless wrap gown that was held together by just two buttons around the back and fell in a waterfall of satin to the floor. It dipped quit low between her breasts and showed a good amount of cleavage and because it was wrap around, when she walked, the skirt opened right to the top of her hip and if she didn’t sit properly, she would literally be showing everyone her goods. It really was meant for standing only but she figured she would risk it and assumed the tables would have table cloths. A chunky necklace and beige heels completed the outfit.

“You look amazing,” Reggie smiled. Betty gave him a shaky smile and he handed her the clutch purse she had left with him earlier. 

“Wish me luck,” she sighed. 

“Break a leg,” he teased as she headed for the door.

“With these heels, I just might,” she laughed as she left the lounge. 

To say Betty was nervous and slightly terrified was an understatement. She found the restaurant well enough but it took her a good 10 minutes to decide to go in. The hostess greeted her with a smile and Betty smoothed her hair back.

“Can I help you Miss Cooper?” she asked politely. Everyone who had worked the resort a few years already knew her name and it made her breathe a little easier. 

“Is ummm….is Jughead Jones here?” she asked quietly.

“Why yes, he is. I believe he’s seated out on the terrace. Is he expecting you?” the woman asked.

“No, he’s not really,” Betty said as she chewed her lip. “He asked me to join him earlier and I declined, but I’ve ummm…well I’ve changed my mind. I guess we’ll have to see if he still wishes me to join him?” The woman smiled and nodded.

“He’d be foolish to say no,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. “You look stunning.” Betty smiled and the lady motioned her to follow and they walked across the restaurant to the terrace. “I’ll let you approach him,” she said softly and gave her a reassuring smile and left her alone. Betty found him sitting at a table near the railing and studying the menu. She took a deep breath and headed in his direction. 

“Hi,” she said softly when she was next to the table. Jughead looked up in surprise and his eyes widened as they raked over her.

“Holy shit,” he breathed as he took in her dress. Betty blushed and grasped her clutch a little tighter. “You look amazing,” he blurted, standing to his feet. 

“Thank you,” she smiled, hating that her voice quivered. “I was wondering if that dinner invitation still stands,” she said quietly. Jughead seemed surprised and then he smiled, making her heart race a little. 

“Of course,” he replied, moving to pull her chair out for her. She clutched her skirt together and sat, not letting go of the material until he sat in his seat. Her entire leg was uncovered and she secretly wished he could see from where he was sitting. She gave herself a mental eye roll and put her clutch on the table.

“I’m sorry Jughead,” she began and he shook his head.

“It’s okay Betty, I get it…”

“No,” she interrupted. “I’ve been rude to you twice now and there was no call for it and I’m really sorry. I’m just….well, this is….” Jughead reached across the table and took her hand and she did her best to keep her breathing steady when she really wanted to gasp in delight. His hand was warm and oddly enough, she got goosebumps on her arm that she prayed he didn’t notice.

  
“I understand, Betty, I promise.”

“Well, all you wanted was to be treated normally and here I am, just constantly freaking out that Jughead Jones seems to want to be around me and it threw me for a loop,” she sighed, curling her hand under his. He gave it a squeeze and then let go and she missed it immediately. “Can we start over?”

“I’d like that,” he said with a smile. “Hi, I’m Jughead Jones, famous person trying to be normal and failing miserably, at your service,” he said holding out his hand. Betty grinned and shook it.

“I’m Betty Cooper, extremely tired single mother of two and completely nuts on occasion, but really fun when I lighten the hell up,” she replied. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said with a wink and she blushed again. “And again, that dress is…..you look incredible.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. 

“It looks easy to take off,” he said casually and her eyes flew up from the menu and she saw he was teasing but it didn’t make her heart race any less. The thought of him taking off the dress and running his hands over her was enough to make her shiver. He noticed and his eyes darkened slightly.

“It is easy to take off,” she replied. “I won’t need any help at all.” 

“Ouch,” he said with a laugh and she giggled when he clutched his heart. She focused on her menu and noticed his gaze stayed on her front.

“Jughead?” she murmured, not lifting her head.

“Yes?”

“Eyes on the menu.”

He laughed softly and she couldn’t help but wonder how that laugh would feel against her skin.


	3. Smitten

Betty lay in bed early the next morning and smiled at the ceiling. Dinner with Jughead had been wonderful. And arousing. He kept up the teasing and flirting the entire time and she was flustered for most of it and he took great delight in making her blush. He told her she was even more beautiful when she blushed. She was still nervous about the whole thing and hadn’t been ready for his onslaught of fun and she decided she better up her game. Not that she had that much experience flirting, but it couldn’t be that hard, could it? He had walked her to her cottage and had lifted and kissed the back of her hand and had given her a soft husky _goodnight_ before backing slowly away, his eyes holding hers until she slowly closed the door. 

Jughead Jones wanted her. Oh, he didn’t exactly come right out and say it, but she could see it in his eyes and honestly, nobody had ever really looked at her like that. Like they wanted to devour her. Even her husband had been a perfect polite gentleman and had never unleashed anything wild inside her. Just looking at Jughead made her want to do things she had never done before. Sure, she wasn’t a virgin, obviously, but her sexual experience was pretty limited. Vanilla; if one would use a word to describe it. While it tasted good, it was boring, bland and basic. She had a feeling that sex with Jughead would be anything but. 

He had told her he wanted to just be normal with her. She chewed her lip and wondered if maybe she should ask him for his definition of normal, because for her, having a seriously hot guy flirt endlessly and seduce her with his eyes was certainly not normal. She sighed. She knew he meant that she just treat him like a regular person and not someone famous so that he could be himself. Well, Jughead being himself was extremely intoxicating and dangerous and she was falling for it. If this flirting continued there was really only one place it would end up because if that wasn’t the goal, what was the point of it? Or maybe he just liked to make her blush and laugh. 

“This is extremely confusing,” she groaned as she grabbed a pillow and held it over her face. She sighed and shoved the pillow aside. “Honestly, Betty, who fucking cares? Jughead Jones is flirting his ass off with you and you’re trying to figure out why? I seriously need to get my head examined. That, or I’ve been alone way too damn long. And he has me talking to myself,” she finished with an eyeroll. She figured she needed a reality check. Glancing at the clock she decided it wasn’t too early and she grabbed her cell phone and face-timed Veronica’s number. It was answered almost immediately by a tired looking Veronica and Betty burst out laughing. 

“It’s only been a few days, V, why do you already look ready to throw in the towel?” she asked teasingly. 

“Oh my God, Betty! I love your girls. More than life, I truly do! But I think they are trying to end mine. How do you do this every day? I know Ive watched them since they were born, but they are extra hyper this time around. My head is spinning,” Veronica exclaimed. 

“Aww, I’m sorry. Do I need to cut my vacation short?” Betty asked with a smirk. 

“What? God, no! If this is what you deal with every day, then you deserve that vacation and then some. Maybe I’m just not used to the noise and constant chatter and why are they always hungry?” V asked. Betty just grinned and settled back on the pillow. “So, you’re looking relaxed. How are things? How’s Reggie? Any interesting celebrities there that I would know?” 

“Things are great, it’s beautiful as always and Reggie is doing great. You really should see him here. This is definitely his element,” Betty laughed. “As for interesting celebrities….” She trailed off and thought for a second about what she should say. She decided to not say anything. “Not yet, but maybe some will show up.” 

“Awww that sucks. That would be half the fun of the vacation,” V sighed. 

“Well, you’ve met your share of famous people, Veronica, I doubt it would even phase you.” 

“Well, unless it was some hot guy that I could have a fling with,” she laughed. 

“Would you?” Betty asked curiously. “Have a fling with a celebrity if the opportunity arose? Like even though you’d never see them again?” 

“Well that’s the whole point, isn’t it?” Veronica said with a giggle. “Have sex with someone famous and being able to go home with sexy memories and be able to tell people, hey, I did that guy once,” she said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Betty rolled her eyes and laughed. 

“Where’s the girls? I need to see them.” 

“Grace! Sophie! Mama’s on the phone!” Veronica yelled and Betty smiled when she heard the girls squeals of excitement and then their beautiful faces appeared on the screen and she let out a what sounded like half cry half laugh sound. 

“Hi mama!” they yelled together, their toothy grins melting her heart. 

“Hi my babies. I miss you,” Betty said, touching her hand to the screen. 

“I miss mama,” Sophie said with a sad face. “Aunt V not nice!” 

“Oh no, what did she do?” Betty asked, biting back a smile. 

“I sit in naughty chair!” Sophie said with a frown. 

“And why did you have to sit in the naughty chair?” 

“She put gum in my hair,” Gracie announced and proceeded to give her sister a shove. 

“Oh dear,” Betty laughed and then frowned. "Don’t push your sister.” 

“When you come home mama?” Gracie asked. 

“Oh honey, I’ll be home soon. Mommy just needs to work a little bit all the way over here and then I will rush home to you, I promise.” 

Betty spent another 20 minutes talking with the twins and her eyes welled with tears when they showed her the pictures they had drawn. They were just shy of three years old and she thought they were way too smart for their own good. When Veronica got back on the screen she was busy wiping her eyes. 

“Oh B, I know being away from them is hard but you really need this break and I want you to promise me that you’ll make the most of it. Have fun, do crazy things, find a man to flirt with. Hell, flirt with Reggie if you have to, but let loose a little and you can come home refreshed.” 

“Alright, I’ll do my best,” Betty laughed. They said their goodbyes she hit end and dropped the phone on the mattress. Do crazy things and find a man to flirt with. Well, she had one of those down, and Betty wondered if she had the guts to do the other. She let out a sigh and sat up. Jughead hadn’t even hinted at wanting to do anything more than flirt, but honestly, he didn’t have to. She may not be the most experienced when it came to men, but she could tell if one of them wanted her. Right? If she was imagining it all, she clearly had been out of the game for far too long. 

Betty ordered herself some breakfast and when it arrived she scrolled her phone and just because she liked to torture herself she looked up gossip on Jughead. There wasn’t much that was new except that he had boarded a plane in LA a few days earlier. Lucky for him, this resort was pretty secluded and had its own small private air strip. She opened Instagram and looked him up and noticed his significant follower count and his last post had been from the previous day. It was a view of the beach and from the angle of the shot, she realized he must have the chalet on the end at the top of the cliff. His caption read ‘ _Stunning beauty all around._ ’ She smiled and liked the photo. She bit her lip and thought about commenting something flirtatious but she wasn’t about to bring attention to herself. All the followers and their ‘marry me’ and ‘I love you’ under the photo unnerved her. She wondered what he thought of all that or if he ever read it or paid attention. 

Betty put the phone down and decided to spend some time on the beach. She went into her room and looked through the bathing suits she had brought. Most were pretty modest but she had gone out of her comfort zone with the insistence of Veronica and bought a couple of skimpy bikinis. She wasn’t comfortable enough just yet to get into one of those and opted for a tankini. She grabbed her bag and put in some snacks and a couple bottles of water and headed outside. It was another gorgeous day and she walked down the short way to the beach and sat in one of the lounge chairs under the umbrella and opened her bottle of water and took a drink. She grabbed a book from her bag and settled back to read when she noticed someone running along the beach. So, he liked to run, she thought as she watched Jughead approach. He caught sight of her and smiled and waved and turned and jogged over to her. 

“Hey,” he said a little breathlessly. “You’re out here early.” 

“It’s mid morning,” she said with a laugh. “Is that early for you?” 

“On vacation, yeah,” he said with a shrug. He was breathing a little heavy and Betty offered him her bottle of water and he took it gratefully. He finished the entire thing and handed back the empty. Betty tried really hard to not stare at his body which was on full display cause all he was wearing was a pair of shorts. Jughead grinned at her struggle. “Sorry, I left my shirt at the chalet,” he teased. 

“You’re so….” She sighed, unsure of exactly what she wanted to say. He sat down on the edge of her lounge and nudged her legs with his hip to make room. She raised an eyebrow and he winked at her. 

“I’m so….” 

“Sweaty.” 

“Well, running does that,” he said with a smirk. Betty willed her heart rate to slow down as she tried not to notice how her leg was brushing against his hip. She shifted over a few more inches so they weren’t touching. He looked down at her movement and his eyes traveled the length of her legs. 

“You’ve got great legs,” he said with a smile. 

“You need to stop with the flirting,” she frowned. “It’s driving me nuts.” 

“Sorry, but you do. I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve heard that,” he laughed. 

“Well, I don’t hear it a lot,” she shrugged. “But this isn’t even about that. You’ve been shamelessly flirting since I sat down at your table last night.” 

“I can stop if you want,” he said softly. He was entirely too close for her to even think and she momentarily forgot what she was talking about. 

“What?” she asked with a frown. 

“Flirting.” 

“I was flirting?” He grinned at her confusion and she gave herself a shake and sighed. 

“The sun getting to you already?” he asked. 

“Sorry, you make me nervous,” she admitted, chewing on her lip. His eyes dropped to focus on that for a moment and then moved back up to connect with hers. 

“I wish I wouldn’t,” Jughead said, his hand coming to rest on her knee. The effort it took to not jerk away from his touch almost made her groan. His hand was warm and slightly callused and she couldn’t help the tiny shiver that went through her leg. “Sorry,” he muttered, quickly taking his hand away. “I had a great time last night,” he smiled and she forced herself to relax a little. 

“I did too,” she admitted. 

“So, how about I finish up my run and rinse off and then come join you. Unless you don’t want me to,” he said. “I can bring a shirt.” She saw the laughter in his eyes and she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips and he grinned. God, he had a beautiful smile. 

“Okay,” she agreed. He smiled and got up. 

“See you in a bit,” he called as he started running again. She watched him and let out a sigh. She really need to calm down and just enjoy the man’s company and stop worrying and over analyzing every little thing. So he was a flirt, why the hell wasn’t she enjoying it? Well, in truth, she was, she just wasn’t used to it and after her little pep talk to herself earlier, she still wasn’t letting herself relax. 

Betty ran her fingers through her hair and fluffed it up a bit and pulled her spf tinted lip care from her bag and added a touch of color to her lips. She held up a leg and gave a shrug; yeah, she supposed she had nice legs. She grabbed her cell phone and turned on the camera app and decided her face was nice enough. She wasn’t about to wear makeup at the beach and he still seemed to think she was pretty, but she did give her cheeks a pinch since she wasn’t yet sun kissed. To hell with it. If Jughead Jones thought she was hot and wanted to flirt with her, well dammit, she was going to let him. 

When he came back half an hour later, she tried to act like she hadn’t just primped herself for him and paged nonchalantly through her magazine and he sat down sideways on the other lounge chair, leaning his elbows on his knees and smiled at her. He had put on a shirt but it was unbuttoned. 

“Did you put on some lip stuff for me?” he asked. She lowered the magazine with a roll of her eyes and looked at him. His grin made her heart race. 

“You are so irritating,” she laughed, swinging her reading material at him. He leaned back with a laugh and barely avoided getting hit. 

“Hey, watch it. I don’t want to be covered in paper cuts, that shit would hurt,” he said with a mock frown. Betty sat up and swung her legs off the side of the chair and faced him. They were close enough that one of her knees was between both of his. 

“Well, then I’d be able to kiss them all better,” she said in the most sultry voice she could muster. She brushed her knee against his for more affect. Jughead froze, his eyes widening in surprise at her flirting and his eyes darkened a little, his throat working as he swallowed. She let out a giggle and he furrowed his brow in apparent confusion. “Men are so easy,” she smirked and got up and headed toward the water. She made sure she added a little extra sex to her walk and looked over her shoulder at him and bit her lip to hold in her laughter at his stupefied expression. Betty winked and waded into the water and then let out a startled shriek when she was suddenly swept up in Jughead’s arms and he walked further into the water. 

“That deserves a good dunking,” he growled and her arms flew around his shoulders to steady herself. 

“No, no, no,” she pleaded, tightening her hold. “I don’t want to get my hair wet!” 

“Well, that’s too bad,” he shrugged as he walked out until he was waist deep. 

“Please don’t,” she whimpered. “What if a fish touches me?” He stopped moving and looked at her and then scanned the water. 

“I think I see a shark,” he said as he squinted further out. 

“That’s not funny,” she yelled, smacking his shoulder. He grinned at her and it suddenly dawned on her that she was in his arms and hers were clinging to his now bare shoulders and she kind of forgot to breathe. His face was so close that she could lean in just a couple of inches and she would be kissing him. He held her gaze and lord, it looked like he wanted to do just that and her arms loosened and all the skin he was touching suddenly felt like it was on fire. With her breathing suddenly hitched and her body starting to tingle, she was unprepared for the mischievous smirk that suddenly appeared on his face and she let out a scream when he dropped her and she sank into the water. She came up sputtering and pushing water out of her face and glared at him. 

“You ass!” she snapped. He grabbed her and picked her up again and she held on tight. 

“Please don’t,” she begged, her fingers digging into his skin. 

“Okay,” he said softly, adjusting and letting her slide down his front and Betty’s entire body was tense and aching when her feet touched the sand in the water. Her arms were pressed between them, her hands resting on his chest and his hands sat gently on her waist. “You looked really flushed so I figured I’d help you cool off,” he smiled. Betty sighed and shoved him away and he wasn’t prepared and fell back on his ass in the sand and she laughed when a wave rolled right over him and he choked on a mouthful of water. She walked back to the chairs and sat down while he finished spitting water and headed back to his own chair. 

“Okay, I deserved that,” he laughed as he dropped down and rested his hands behind his head. Betty didn’t say anything, as she was too busy trying to forget how close she had just been to him. He had felt hard and strong all over and she stole a sideways glance at him and admired his fit body. She wondered what his skin tasted like. 

“Bloody hell,” she muttered, running her hands over her face. Jughead looked at her and raised an eyebrow. 

“You alright?” he asked. 

“Fine,” she muttered. Jughead stood up suddenly and grabbed his chair, a heavy wooden based lounge that she knew was heavy and turned it around like it weighed nothing. “What are you doing?” she asked in confusion. He arranged the chair so it sat right up against her but facing the resort, the arm rests touching. He sat again and they were face to face, only a couple of feet apart. “You’re facing away from the view,” she laughed, motioning her hand to the sparkling water. 

“I have a pretty good view,” he said softly, his eyes holding hers. She couldn’t help the flush that warmed her face. Betty pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. 

“Can I ask you something?” she asked quietly. 

“Sure.” 

“You said you wanted to act normal with me, be normal, that I’m supposed to treat you like just a regular guy…” 

“Yeah…” 

“Is this you when you’re being normal? I mean, I don’t know how to react,” she admitted, looking out to the water. “When you’re not being Mr. Hollywood, you’re Mr. Flirt?” 

“Not exactly,” he said with a sigh. She looked at him and waited for him to continue. “If I’m going to be honest, I don’t really know what it’s like to be normal around people. If I’m not at some event or work, I’m by myself and I usually just read or write or take pictures of things. The person I am around the celebrity crowd isn’t who I am at all. Mr. Perfect, Mr. Everything’s Wonderful, Mr. Smile all the live long day. It’s exhausting trying to always seem like life is just so amazing.” 

“Isn’t it?” she asked softly. 

“It is in a way I suppose, but I’m still human. I still have shitty days and I still sometimes just want to punch people for being assholes and sometimes when everyone runs at me, I just want to yell at them to fuck off,” he said with a shrug. 

“Fair enough,” she said with a smile. “So, the flirting isn’t you either?” 

“Not usually,” he smiled. “I ummm….well, I’ve kind of been out of the loop when it comes to trying to get a woman to respond to me in some way,” he laughed. “I dated Sabrina since I was 19 and we broke up two years ago and there was only one woman since then and honestly, it fizzled before it started. She was one of the models on a photo shoot I did about a year ago.” 

“Of course she was,” Betty smirked. 

“No, it wasn’t like…” Jughead let out a laugh. “Yeah, that’s cliché as fuck, but she was honestly really nice and we hit it off and went out a few times, well more like we dated for about 2 months and then we both realized it really wasn’t anything and we just decided to part ways.” 

“I don’t recall hearing about that anywhere and usually the tabloids are all up in your business.” 

“Well, we managed to keep it under wraps and only hung out at each other’s place and never went anywhere public so we managed to dodge the press.” 

“At each other’s place, huh?” she asked wryly. “That’s an interesting way to _date_.” Jughead rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. 

“Okay, fine. It was mostly sex but dammit, I had barely gotten laid in like three damn years and she was nice,” he laughed. 

“What? You had barely had sex in three years? Weren’t you with Sabrina for 2 of them?” 

“Yes, but my very best friend was taking care of that for her, so I got the headaches and ‘I’m tired’ a whole hell of a lot.” 

“God, sorry,” she grimaced. “You really had no idea?” she asked softly. 

“I don’t know, I knew we were pulling apart, but I honestly never thought she’d cheat. So when that hit the fan I spent a year throwing myself into work and didn’t even look at another woman and then I met the model and she made it very clear that she wanted me in the sack so I figured, fuck it.” 

“And it only last two months?” Betty asked in surprise. 

“Okay, full disclosure and like, this never goes beyond these chairs?” 

“Cross my heart,” Betty assured him, making the sign over her chest. 

“I’m terrible with women.” She scoffed and he shook his head. “No, I’m serious,” he laughed. 

“How is that possible?” she asked. “You’re, I mean….you’re Jughead Jones, for God’s sake.” 

“I have no idea what that means,” Jughead laughed. 

“You realize you’re extremely good looking, right?” 

“Well, that really doesn’t matter. The first time I asked a girl out, I was 16 and I threw up right after,” he said with a laugh. “I wasn’t a big talker so whenever I’d go on a date, they always thought I was mad at them because I didn’t talk much. I was a loner and I liked to just sit somewhere and read or write. Sabrina was a good friend and we just fell into love one day after casually dating for a while and the funny thing was, she agreed to go on dates with me because it kept other girls away.” Jughead started laughing at that. “God, I sound like an idiot.” 

“It’s sweet actually,” Betty said with a smile. 

“Well, we realized one day that we actually really cared about each other and then we just sort of fell in love and we were together until a couple years ago. I was with her before all this crazy fame shit. And before her, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing when it came to women. So when I found myself suddenly single and world famous, well, I still didn’t know what the hell I was doing with women and honestly, I still prefer to sit somewhere alone and read and write. It’s just how I am,” he said with a shrug. 

“So, when you say terrible with women, like with the model….do you mean like….you know….” She blushed and giggled at the same time. 

“No!” he said quickly, laughing as well. “I do not suck in bed,” he insisted and her stomach clenched at his determined look, like he wanted to demonstrate right then and there. “I just wasn’t good at the talking stuff and I guess maybe that’s because we had literally nothing in common,” he laughed. 

“So then, where did this Mr. Flirt suddenly come from?” she asked, trying to remember how to breathe. 

“I don’t know, Betty.” The way he said her name was like a caress and she found herself shivering in the hot sun. “I like you. I enjoy teasing you and I like making you blush,” he admitted with a smile. “I bumped into you and I just….i don’t know, I wanted to get to know you.” 

“But why? After next week, we’ll never see each other again and I guess I’m just wondering if you’re maybe…..” she didn’t finish her thought, her face suddenly burning hot and she leaned back and straightened her legs and looked down at her lap. 

“Maybe what?” he asked. She looked back at him and swallowed. 

“Maybe it’s like the model? You’re looking to hook up on vacation and get laid again?” she asked, biting her lip nervously. 

“You think I’m trying to get you in bed?” he asked quietly. 

“Kind of.” 

“Well, I’m not going to lie and say that thought hasn’t crossed my mind, having you in my bed….” He said slowly and she tried to keep her breathing steady because just hearing him say ‘having you in my bed’ was enough to send her mind straight into a play by play movie of erotic images in her head and _holy shit_ she couldn’t stop the ache that began to spread through her. She nodded quickly, trying to not show any outward reaction and knew she was probably failing miserably. “Honestly Betty, that’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m not looking for a lay, I promise.” 

“Okay,” she said quickly. 

“Although, if we keep hanging out, I might try to kiss you at some point,” he admitted with a smile. Even though she was blushing, she couldn’t help but flirt back. 

“I might let you,” she replied softly. She held his gaze for a moment. “So we’re just going to hang out and flirt for the next 10 days and then go back to our lives?” she asked curiously. 

“Why not? I can’t think of a better way to spend this vacation then in the company of a beautiful women.” 

“So, what if during all this hanging out you decide you really want me in your bed,” she said, suddenly feeling bold and leaning forward so she was closer to him. 

“Well, I guess I’d hope you’d say yes,” he smirked. 

“Don’t count on it,” she said coyly and settled back in her seat again. “You know, Reggie keeps telling me that I need to let loose and have some fun and earlier, I called home and my friend actually straight up told me to find a hot guy to have a fling with,” she laughed. 

“You tell her that you found one?” he teased. 

“No, I did not,” she threw back at him. “I told her there wasn’t any here.” 

“You didn’t tell her I was here? I mean, I’m not trying to be conceited and say I’m the hot guy, but most people who meet me scream it to anyone who’ll listen. It’s annoying as fuck and why I’m always in the press.” 

“Well, first of all, I’m not allowed to say who’s here. I may be the niece of the owner, but I have to sign the papers just like you do and even if I didn’t, no I wouldn’t tell her. I’m sure you value your privacy,” she insisted. Jughead smiled at her and reached down and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. 

“See, this is why I like you and this is exactly what I meant by being normal with me. You don’t want to run off and tell everyone you’re spending time with Jughead Jones,” he said softly. 

“Oh well, I didn’t say that,” she laughed softly. “This really is the highlight of my year and I’m still not sure how to act around you because of who you are. You make me nervous.” She felt her hand tremble a little as he was still holding it and she wasn’t sure why but when he went to pull back she gave a slight squeeze and kept it there. He leaned forward and held her gaze. 

“So, tell me Betty, would having a fling on a vacation with someone you may or may not see again be something you would consider? Or are you the type who doesn’t sleep with anyone unless you’re in a relationship. I’m thinking it’s the second one,” Jughead smiled, his thumb running across her fingers. 

“Well, usually it is the second one, but there’s a first time for everything, right?” she asked a little breathlessly. “Besides, I’m pretty much in the same position you were with the model. I haven’t gotten laid in years,” she said with a laugh. He raised an eyebrow and his eyes travelled the length of her body and she squirmed under his gaze. 

“Come on,” he said softly. “Seriously?” 

“I have twins. I have zero time for dating and usually too tired to even think about sex,” she said with a sad laugh. Jughead lifted her hand and stared at the ring she still wore. 

“So, that’s where this comes into play?” 

“Basically.” Betty grabbed her bag and pulled out another water bottle and offered it to him and he took a sip and handed it back. She tried not to think about the fact that his mouth had just been on it when she also took a sip. 

“Tell me about him,” Jughead said softly. 

“Why?” 

“Why not? I told you about Sabrina, it’s only fair,” he teased. Betty sat back and pulled her legs up again. 

“Well, there honestly isn’t that much to tell. He was the second guy I had ever dated. His name was Trevor. He was really nice and very sweet and he was the first guy I’d ever slept with and was pretty shocked when I ended up pregnant. I was 20 years old and in no way ready to be a mom but he stepped up and was responsible and when he suggested we get married, well I guess I figured why not? He was great and I did love him, although now that I think about it, I don’t know if that means I was in love with him and I guess if I have to think about that, its probably safe to say I wasn’t, not exactly. He died in a car accident 2 months after we got married. I was 6 months pregnant.” 

“Oh Betty, I’m so sorry,” Jughead said softly. “That must have been so hard.” 

“Yeah, it was. I have great friends though and I’ve had so much help. I couldn’t have done it without them. I mean, it just all seemed like a big strange joke someone played on me. Finally lose my virginity. Get pregnant. Basically a shot gun wedding. Husband dies and nature decided that because I was alone, two babies would be more fun than one?” she said with a wry laugh. 

“Your daughters are beautiful,” he smiled. Betty pulled out her phone and pulled up some pictures and he looked at them with a soft look on his face. 

“You like kids?” she asked with a smile. 

“Yeah, I do. To be honest I always thought I’d have some by now,” he said, sounding wistful and a little sad. “Is Cooper your married name?” 

“No, it’s actually not. I never got around to changing it before he died and when it happened, I just figured there was no point. And you still have plenty of time,” she assured him when he handed her phone back. “For kids.” 

“Yeah, I guess,” he shrugged. Betty pulled up her camera and noted how her hair was now drying in a frizzy mess and she glared at him. 

“See what you did to my hair?” she sighed, trying to smooth it. 

“You have beautiful hair,” he replied, reaching over and curling a strand around his finger. His hand brushed her cheek and she went still, holding his gaze for a few moments. 

“Your eyes look like the ocean,” she blurted, her voice sounding a little strangled and she winced and let out a little sigh. 

“Yours look like emeralds and when the sun hits them they have these golden lines in them and I feel like I could lose myself in them for days,” he replied, sounding a little strangled himself. He let go of the hair and let the back of his finger deliberately trail down her cheek and she gave him a shaky smile when he sat back. He overwhelmed her. He suddenly squinted at her and tilted his head. 

“What?” 

“So, if your husband passed away while you were pregnant and you wear the ring to keep men away, have you not…..” his voice trailed off and his eyebrow shot up. Betty blushed and shrugged. “Wait, you’re telling me you haven’t had sex in almost 4 years?” 

“God, that sounds pathetic,” she said with a laugh. 

“Well, now I’m starting to think your friend may be right. You need to have a fling,” he said with a wink. 

“Are you offering?” she asked with what she hoped was a teasing smile because if truth be told, she didn’t know if her heart could pound any harder and being near him was starting to seem bad for her health. She was on the verge of a bloody heart attack. 

“What if I was?” he returned with a smile. Betty sat up and trailed a finger down his arm as it rested on the arm rest of his lounge. She was thrilled to see him go completely still and it was nice knowing she wasnt the only one affected by the other. 

“I’m gonna go to my cottage and have some lunch and then I have a visit planned with my uncle this afternoon. Will you be at the lounge this evening?” she asked, making slow circles on his forearm with her nail. 

“Umm, yeah,” he said hurriedly and nodding. 

“Good,” she said with a smile and got up, grabbed her bags and started walking back to her cottage. 

Jughead watched her go, his gaze fixated on her legs and he was still trying to get over how she had just turned the tables on him when it came to leaving the other unnerved. He glanced down at his lap and rolled his eyes. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, suddenly glad she was gone because she had left him in a rather embarrassing condition. He watched her disappear into her cottage and decided he wanted her. Yes, he did. He wanted her in his bed and he was prepared to follow her to wherever the hell she lived to make it happen. Betty Cooper made him feel things he hadn’t felt in years and he didn’t know if it was just lust or what the hell it was, but it was there and he could see she felt it too, even if she was nervous about it. 

Betty was just starting to sing that evening when she saw Jughead come in and sit himself down by the bar. He started to chat with Reggie but his eyes rarely left her and she found it hard to look away from him. She tried not to be obvious since there were a few guests in the audience but he was like a magnet. 

Something seemed different and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. He seemed determined and he made no attempt to hide the heat in his eyes when he watched her and she found her voice shake a few more times than she cared to admit and she prayed nobody else noticed. When her set was over, she made her way to the bar and went straight to where he was sitting and Reggie smiled and handed her a cup of tea. 

“Thanks Reg,” she said softly and sat down on the bar chair next to Jughead. Reggie winked and wandered to another customer. Betty let out a breath when she felt Jughead’s hand smooth over her back, from top to bottom and she turned to look at him. 

“You sounded amazing,” he murmured, his eyes settling on her mouth. Betty licked her lips nervously and his eyes darkened and she rested her hand on his thigh and he lifted his eyes. 

“Are you okay?” she asked with a hint of a smile. 

“Why do you ask?” he wondered, taking a sip of the drink he had. She guessed a scotch. 

“You seem a little…..smitten,” she said with a teasing smile. 

“A lot smitten,” he corrected, smiling at her slight blush. Her eyes went to his mouth and she had an insane desire to just kiss him. He had a great mouth and she bet he was a fantastic kisser. “Did you want to grab some dinner?” he asked. 

“I’m actually going to call it a night. The sun really wore me out today and I haven’t quite gotten used to it yet,” she admitted. “But you can walk me back to my cottage if you like.” 

“Of course,” he said, standing and offering his hand. She took it and stood. 

“You kids heading out?” Reggie asked as he walked over. 

“I’m calling it a night,” Betty smiled. “Jughead is walking me to my door.” Reggie smirked and she rolled her eyes and Jughead took her hand and they headed out of the lounge. He set a slow pace, not letting go while they walked, his fingers lacing through hers. She didn’t pull away and felt her stomach light up with butterflies when his thumb stroked over her fingers. 

“So, what did you have planned tomorrow?” he asked. 

“I’m not sure. What were you planning?” 

“I don’t know, I haven’t really looked into what kinds of activities they have here.” 

“Well, there is a lot but I usually leave it for the second week because I use the first to just lounge around and rest up before I tire myself out some more,” she laughed. 

“So more beach lounging or sitting by the pool?” 

“Well, I may check out the spa and get a massage and all that,” she said with a shrug. 

“Let me know when you’re done?” he asked softly. She looked at him and his hopeful expression made her smile. 

“Okay,” she agreed. She squeezed his hand as they walked up to her cottage and she opened the door and stepped in, turning to face him. He leaned against the door frame and he looked so incredibly sexy it took everything in her to not throw herself at him. She gripped the door handle and leaned against the edge of the door as she observed him. 

“You alright?” he asked. 

“I just….sometimes I wish I was like the kind of woman you probably meet alot….” 

“What kind is that?” he asked curiously. 

“The kind that would do anything and try everything to get you into their room?” she said with a smile. 

“You wouldn’t have to try at all,” Jughead said softly. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. The look in his eyes was making her heart pound and she couldn’t seem to make her brain form a thought. 

“I…goodnight Jughead,” she whispered and he smiled and stepped back and she slowly closed the door. She backed away and she jumped a little when there was a soft knock. Taking a deep breath, she opened it again and looked at him. Jughead said nothing as he stepped closer and framed her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers. It was a soft kiss that lasted only a second but it sent her heart into overdrive. He pulled away slightly, his lips still hovering and her hands came up and wrapped around his wrists as he cupped her face. 

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I just…” She cut him off by pressing her mouth to his, needing to feel his lips again. He tasted like the scotch he had been drinking and his mouth was warm and soft and she whimpered into the kiss, her hands moving to clutch his shirt. One of his hands slid into her hair, cupping her head as he angled it to deepen the kiss, the other moving down, his arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her against him. He kissed her slowly, almost lazily, his mouth moving over hers like he had done it a thousand times before, his tongue flicking against her lips but never pressing deeper. He pulled back suddenly and she let out a disappointed whimper and he gave her another small kiss and gently untangled her fingers from his shirt. “Good night, Betty,” he said softly and stepped back, closing the door after him. Betty sagged against it, her hand on her chest, willing her heart to slow down. 

“Holy shit,” she gasped, her fingers on her mouth, still feeling his lips on hers. She pulled away from the door and walked into the bed room and fell back on the bed, her fingers still on her lips. She smiled slowly and bit her lip as she rolled to the side and let out a shaky breath. She was right. He was an amazing kisser and she wanted more. 


	4. Seduces Me

Betty slept till almost none the following day. Most likely because she had spent half the night thinking about Jughead and his mouth. The man certainly knew how to kiss and it had been so long since she had been kissed that she would have gladly let him keep going all night long. She checked the time and saw she had an hour until her afternoon at the spa and she found herself wondering what Jughead was doing. Wandering into the bathroom, she studied herself in the mirror and Betty knew she was pretty. While she had never really considered herself beautiful, she certainly didn’t think she was ugly and of course men found her attractive, but she had never caught the attention of a man quite as handsome as Jughead. The model certainly had been no surprise to her; that he had hooked up with one. 

Betty turned and studied herself and shrugged. Was she a model? Certainly not, but she had a nice enough body and Jughead certainly seemed to like it. She suddenly found herself blushing as she remembered how he couldn’t seem to stop staring at her legs. She wondered how it would feel to wrap them around him.

“Oh Lord, Betty,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. She couldn’t stop the thoughts. How would it feel to be under him? How would it feel to straddle him? His mouth on her skin? She shivered at the need that coursed through her. Yes, she had definitely been without a man for far too long and that was her own fault really. Guys had tried back home but she had always shut them down and honestly, Veronica was right and so was Reggie. She really needed to get laid. She started to laugh as the thought popped in her head. It sounded so unlike her to even think that, but it was the simple truth. Betty Cooper needed a good lay.

“Now, do you have the guts to actually do it?” she asked herself in the mirror. She let out a sigh and looked down at her hand, at the ring she wore, simply as a crutch and shield. She didn’t miss Trev anymore. She had stopped missing him about a year after he had died, when she got the hang of life on her own with two kids. She realized now that they had never been in love. They had liked each other a lot and when she had gotten pregnant he stepped up because that was the kind of guy he was. Really wonderful and kind and she had loved him, yes, but more like you love a best friend and she knew that at some point in their marriage, it would have fallen apart because they had no foundation other than their children.

It was time to stop hiding and she needed to get on with her life and stop shutting the world out. Betty slowly pulled the ring off her finger and she didn’t feel sadness, but she did feel relief. So whether anything happened with Jughead or not, it was time to start living again and she realized that his attention and obvious attraction and want for her helped her see what she was missing by not allowing a man to get close to her. A relationship, someone to share her life with, someone who would stand by her side through life.

She knew a relationship with Jughead wasn’t an option and she still didn’t know if she could just have a fling without feelings, but like she had told him, there was a first time for everything because having a man want her so badly was definitely a confidence booster and made her feel like maybe, when she got back to life, if there was someone she liked, she would be able to go after them and get back into it. But for right now, she would enjoy the attention of a ridiculously hot guy, who seemed to really want her and she wasn’t going to deny it, she wanted him too.

Betty dropped the ring into her makeup bag and gathered her things and headed over to the spa. A couple of hours getting massaged and prettied up should make her feel wonderful. 

The massage last a full hour and by the time it was finished, Betty felt like her bones were butter, she was so relaxed. She lay there for a few extra minutes and just enjoyed the wonderful sated feeling and suddenly her brain flashed to laying in bed beside Jughead, feeling sated for a different reason. She let out a groan at the ache that she suddenly felt. He had woken something in her that seemed foreign and strange because she had never in her life found herself lusting after someone the way that she was now. She just couldn’t seem to get the images out of her head.

Betty ran her hand over her chest and down to her stomach and let out a long breath. She longed for a much larger, slightly callused hand on her skin and she was literally driving herself crazy. She forced herself to get up and get dressed and left the massage room for her next appointment to get her nails done. She had thought about getting a hair treatment but decided against it since she would most likely be getting it wet with pool water and the ocean water again so what was the point. Perhaps on her last day at the resort she would do that. She just got them to style it for her in soft curls and pile it on top of her head for her performance later.

When Betty was done in the spa, it was nearing 5:00pm and she headed into the lounge to grab herself a drink before she went and got herself ready for her set at 7:00. Reggie waved as he helped a customer and she settled on a stool and he came over when he was finished.

“You look relaxed and lovely,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you, Reg,” Betty replied. “I just spent the afternoon at the spa and it was amazing.”

“Can I get you a drink?” he asked.

“One of your special mixtures?” she said with a laugh. He winked and started mixing one for her.

“So, how’s things going with Mr. Hollywood?” he asked with a smirk. Betty squinted her eyes at him and he laughed. “What?”

“He knows what you’re doing, you know,” she said with a pointed finger.

“What’s that?”

“Encouraging him to talk to me, or whatever.”

“Well, good, then he’s a smart man.”

“I was supposed to let him know when my spa appointments were done but I didn’t realize they would go so long and now I have to go get ready for my singing at 7:00. And honestly, how do I let him know without going all the way to his chalet?” she wondered with a frown.

“I can give him a ring if you like,” Reggie said, pointing to the resort phone. She nodded and he handed her the phone while he looked in the directory for the number and dialed it in for her. It rang a couple of times before he answered.

“Hello?” His voice was gruff and sounded like he had been sleeping or something and the husky tone just sent a jolt through her and she prayed it didn’t show as Reggie was watching her.

“Hey, Jughead, it’s Betty,” she said quickly, feeling her face warm for reasons she couldn’t begin to know.

“Oh, hey,” he said and she could have sworn she could hear the smile in his voice and couldn’t help but smile as well.

“I was supposed to let you know when my spa appointment was done and I just got out so I have to go to my cottage now and get ready to sing tonight so we can’t really hang out, unless you want to do dinner again after?” she suggested.

“Oh, okay, yeah sure, that sounds great,” Jughead said.

“Great,” she said happily. “I’ll see you later?” 

“Yeah, absolutely.”

“Bye Jughead,” she said softly and his soft reply made her shiver as she hung up the phone. She grabbed her drink and gave Reggie a nod and headed back to her cottage. She was just looking through the fridge for a snack when there was a knock at the door. She frowned and went to open it and was surprised to find Jughead standing there, looking sexy as hell in a pair of tan khaki pants and a white button shirt that literally had only one button closed. 

“Hey,” she said in surprise. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, totally alright,” he smiled. “I just….well, at the risk of sounding like a pathetic loser, I just missed you and didn’t want to wait till later and was wondering if it was okay if I just hung out here while you got ready.”

“You want to hang out while I get ready?” 

“Yeah,” he said sheepishly. “And please, feel free to tell me to fuck off and go hang out with Reggie if you want, but I could also just hang on your couch and we could chat while you do whatever it is you do for getting ready,” he suggested. Betty covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the giggle that came out. “Okay, I’m an idiot,” he muttered, and she felt her heart flutter when an actual blush covered his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck and looked like he wanted to bolt.

“Okay, Jughead, you literally just plowed like a freight train right through my ‘ _oh my god a celebrity_ ’ issues,” Betty said with a grin.

“I don’t understand,” he said with a sigh.

“I’ve been walking around for a couple days now with my brain full of _oh my God, Jughead Jones is talking to me_ and _oh my God, Jughead Jones wants to hang out with me_ and _oh my God, Jughead Jones is kissing me_ and this crazy idea I had in my head that all celebrities were pretentious, and self-centered, and snotty who didn’t give us regular people like me the time of day and you standing here, literally the hottest star on the planet right now, asking to hang out because you miss me and being so nervous and cute and doing the most ridiculously normal thing I’ve ever seen, and I just…..you’re just…..” she couldn’t think of anything else to say so she grabbed him and hugged him. 

“Mmmmm,” his surprised murmur warmed her heart as he hugged her back. “I also prefer t-shirts from wal-mart over any designer label,” he said softly against her hair and she laughed and squeezed him tighter. He started backing her toward the couch, his hands settling on her waist. “I’d rather have a burger at a diner than a steak at a pretentious high class steak house,” he breathed against her ear and she laughed and pulled away and he frowned in disappointment.

“Stop it,” she insisted. “Now you’re just trying to seduce me.”

“Is it working?” he asked with a grin. She bit her lip and backed away and pointed to the couch. 

“Sit. I have to get ready,” was her only reply.

“Fine,” he said with a sigh. He settled on the couch and grabbed the TV remote and started to channel surf. “This cabin is really beautiful,” he commented as he looked around.

“Aren’t you in the last chalet? That’s the best place here. It must be way better than this one,” Betty said as she grabbed an apple to snack on.

“Oh it’s more fancy,” Jughead shrugged. “But this is homey and comfortable and I’d feel more at home here. I’ll have to tell my sister next time to stop with her need to put me in expensive shit and just let me be normal and slum it in this hole,” he said sarcastically. She laughed and threw him an apple and he caught it with a wink and she smiled and headed for her bedroom. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be sitting out here,” he called after her. Betty paused in the doorway and watched him a moment while he started flipping channels. Despite who he was, he was still just a regular guy and it calmed her nerves. “Your hair looks great by the way,” he called out and she grinned as she walked into the bathroom and started to do her make up. 

“Thank you,” she called back. “What did you do all day?”

“Contemplated things.”

“What kinds of things?”

“Just trying to decide which parts of my career I want to step away from,” he replied casually. She walked back to the door and leaned against the door jamb. 

“What do you mean?” she asked. He turned to look at her and chewed his lip for a moment.

“I feel like I have too much going on and like I’m being pulled in all directions and honestly, something just has to go.”

“Do you know what you’d like to walk away from?” she asked curiously.

“Not sure yet, I was running numbers in my head all day and trying to figure out what would make the most sense,” Jughead said.

“Numbers?” Betty asked confused. “Wouldn’t this be more of a heart decision? What do you really love to do? What can you see yourself doing for many more years? What makes you happiest? That sort of thing.” He smiled at her.

“Well, you’re very smart Miss Betty Cooper. That’s probably a better way to go about it,” he laughed. She shrugged and pulled away from the door.

“Well, looks like my kids haven’t completely taken my mind,” she said with a laugh as she headed into the bathroom. She finished her make-up and took off her shorts and t-shirt and slipped into a robe and went to the closet and looked through the dresses hanging in there. She pulled out a short red one and a long red one and walked over to the door. “Short or long?” she asked, holding up the dresses. Jughead looked at her and he seemed to freeze for a minute and he just stared. “What?” she finally asked when he didn’t say anything.

“Are you naked under that robe?” he asked. She raised an eyebrow and looked down. “Cause that’s like….a robe…” 

“I’m more covered than I was when you showed up here,” she said, starting to laugh. 

“I know, but it’s a robe. If I pull on the belt a little…….”

“Jughead?”

“Yes?” he sighed.

“Long or short?”

“Short,” he grumbled, sounding rather annoyed that he couldn’t keep talking about the robe. Betty shook her head and laughed as she stepped back into the bedroom and closed the door. “Need some help?” he called in a last ditch effort.

“No I don’t,” she assured him brightly. She slid into the dress and pulled the zipper in the back half way up and decided just for fun, to let him finish. She found her silver strappy high heeled sandals and slipped into them and walked back out to him. “I could use some help with the zipper, actually,” she said softly. Jughead looked at her and swallowed, getting up slowly from the couch.

“God, you look amazing,” he said quietly.

“Thank you,” Betty smiled. “Could you help me with the zipper?” she asked and he just nodded and walked over to her. She turned and he came up behind her and was so close, she felt his body heat against her and she was certain if she even moved a muscle, he would be brushing against her from top to bottom. She felt his finger trail down between the open part of the zipper, gently caressing her skin and she couldn’t help the shiver that went through her. His hand rested on her bare shoulder and he slowly pulled up the zipper, his knuckle dragging on the skin.

Betty felt like the air was being sucked from the room as he placed both his hands on her shoulders, and he shifted so that he now was brushing against her. When she felt his lips press a soft kiss to the side of her neck, she let out a hitched breath and couldn’t help but lean back against him. His hands moved slowly down her arms and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, his lips pressing against her skin again.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered against her ear. The phone suddenly rang and Betty jumped so hard that her head cracked against Jughead’s chin and he jerked back with a wince.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed, turning to him. She grimaced as he rubbed it with his hand. She hurried over to the counter and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Hello Miss Cooper, this is the main desk. We have a phone call from an Alice Cooper. May we put her through?” Betty sighed and rolled her eyes, she had blocked her number on her cell for the week for this exact reason. Of course her mother would disturb her vacation.

“No thank you, please inform her that I’ll speak to her when I get home.” 

“Very good ma’am, have a lovely evening.” Betty disconnected the call and found Jughead still rubbing his chin and watching her.

“Dodging someone?” he asked with a smile.

“My mother,” Betty answered as she walked over to him. “I didn’t want her ruining my time here,” she said.

“Would talking to her do that?” he asked.

“Well, talking to her usually ruins my day, so yeah, she would ruin my time here.” She moved his hand from his chin and before she thought anything of it, leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on it. “Sorry I hurt you,” she said softly.

“I’ll live,” he smiled as he gazed into her eyes.

“I have to get to the lounge,” she whispered after a moment when it looked like he was going to kiss her and as much as she wanted him to, she was suddenly feeling extremely flustered and shaky. 

“Okay, let’s go,” he said, offering his hand. He escorted her to the lounge and settled himself at the bar while she went up on stage to get ready. Reggie walked up to him and set his usual glass of scotch in front of him and he slid a tip towards him.

“Thanks,” he smiled, taking a sip.

“So, Hollywood, how’s things with our lovely entertainer?” Reggie asked with a grin.

“She’s great,” Jughead said with a smile as he watched her. The dress she wore was phenomenal and her legs were killer in it. Since he had first met her, all he could think about at night was how they would feel wrapped around him. Reggie didn’t say anymore and Jughead was thankful because he really didn’t want to talk about Betty with him because it suddenly felt private and disrespectful to her. A few minutes later she started to sing and once again he got lost in the beauty of her voice. Her eyes found his and she smiled as she sang and he sent her a wink and he couldn’t see from the distance but he was willing to bet that he’d made her blush.

He looked around the room and Reggie had been right. Every day there was more and more people in the lounge and he once again wondered how on earth she wasn’t famous. But she had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with being famous. He felt an odd squeeze in his gut at the thought and he couldn’t understand what it meant exactly but he soon forgot about it when she flashed him another smile and he relaxed and enjoyed the show. After she was finished they went to dinner and he was glad that she was finally relaxed with him, laughing a lot and firing back at him when he flirted. When they were walking back to her cottage he stopped by the pool area and she looked at him questioningly.

“Wanna go for a swim?” he asked with a grin. 

“Seriously?” she laughed. “It’s dark and I don’t know if we’re even allowed in the pool this late. Isn’t it closed?”

“I think with what I paid to stay here, I can bloody well swim in this pool after dark,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll find a dark corner and try to be quiet,” he suggested. She bit her lip and looked at the pool and back at him and nodded.

“Okay, but I want to put on a bathing suit,” she insisted.

“You can go in your underwear, I won’t look,” he promised. 

“Ummm….well, I’m not wearing any,” she said with a blush.

“Jesus,” he muttered with a sigh. She let out a giggle and he grabbed her hand and pulled her along on the way to her cottage. They made it there in record time and she hurried inside and changed into a one piece, that was actually quite revealing with its high thigh cut and low cut V between the breasts. She pulled on a swim cover and hurried back outside. Jughead grinned and they ran back to the pool and found a dark corner and he pulled his shirt off and moved to undo his pants.

“You’re not naked, are you?” she asked in a whisper.

“Not today,” he said with a wink, pushing his pants down reveal black boxer briefs. She tried not to stare as she pulled off her cover. “Is there any article of clothing you have on this trip that won’t make me insane when I look at it?” he asked.

“I don’t know, you’ll have to stick close by and see I guess,” she laughed. She sat on the edge of the pool and looked around again and saw the area was deserted. Jughead slipped into the water and dunked himself and surfaced in front of her.

“Is your uncle going to kick you off the resort if this isn’t allowed?” he asked with a grin. 

“No, he loves me too much,” Betty assured him. “You on the other hand, arrogant celebrity who thinks he can break the rules, he just might,” she teased. Jughead grabbed her hand and tugged her into the water and she let out a laugh and then pressed her hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her noise. “And don’t dunk me. I like my hair,” she said firmly.

“Will it get messed up when you go to sleep?” he asked.

“Well, I’m going to take all the pins out, so yeah,” she admitted. “So I suppose it doesn’t matter.” She reached up and started to pull the pins. After a few he came closer and lent a hand. After a while he raised an eyebrow and stared at the growing pile of bobby pins.

“What the fuck?” he grumbled. “How many are there?”

“Just a few more,” she laughed. Finally they were all out and she pulled her fingers through her hair trying to tame it.

“It’s like a glorious golden mane,” Jughead laughed. She splashed water at him and he splashed back and it didn’t take long and her hair was soaking wet leaving her looking rather disgruntled and she tried unsuccessfully to dunk him. 

“You’re always getting me all wet,” she said with a laugh as he grabbed at her to return the favor. He went still and the heated look that crossed his face made her shiver as she realized what she’d said.

“Is that so?” he asked softly, pulling her closer to him. Her body slid against his in the water and her hands clutched his shoulders.

“You know what I mean,” she said, her voice sounding a little hoarse.

“Do I?” he whispered against her jaw as he dipped his head and trailed his mouth along the line. His hands rested on the bare skin of her hips and she let out a shuddering breath at the feel of his mouth pressing small kisses under her ear. It was hard to breathe with his mouth teasing her skin and his entire body touching hers. There was a lot of skin and she wanted to press closer.

“Jug,” she whimpered as his teeth teased her ear lobe. Her legs seemed to have a mind of their own as they floated in the water, coming up to wrap loosely around him. She felt the rush of breath that left his mouth at the feel of her legs wrapping around his waist. Jughead shifted and rested his forehead against hers, his mouth hovering a mere heartbeat of space from her lips and she could feel his breath fan over her. Her hands slid behind his neck and into his hair and she brushed her mouth over his. He returned the slight pressure and they shared small light kisses, breathing into each other.

She wanted him to deepen the kiss and Betty let out a small moan when he pulled her even closer, his mouth pressing harder, moving slowly over hers, as if waiting for her to let him know that she wanted more. His tongue started to brush against her lips, light flicks much like he had done the previous night, but not going any further. Betty got desperate for more and she opened her mouth, meeting his tongue with her own and touching it almost shyly. He groaned and her body seemed to come alive, an ache starting in her abdomen and slowly spreading all over and her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs tightening as she pressed herself against him and then his mouth settled fully on hers, his tongue sliding in and stroking eagerly against hers.

His hands stroked over her back and then moved to slide along her legs, slowly gliding over her thighs to rest on her hips and she wiggled against him as he kissed her. A languid and sensual kiss that last for endless minutes, giving and taking, coming up for air and diving right back in. She pulled away to gasp for breath and his mouth moved down her neck, licking and sucking at the skin and she moved against him, whimpered when he pressed back against her. Her nails pressed into his shoulders and she pulled back a little, breathing heavy and willing the ache between her legs to calm. She could feel his arousal and she felt suddenly overwhelmed.

“Jughead,” she whispered, tugging on his hair to lift his head and he rested his forehead back on hers, his breathing harsh as well.

“Sorry,” he murmured, his hands moving back to her waist, trying to hold his body away from hers. Her legs were still wrapped around him and it kept them pressed together. He locked his eyes with hers and smiled gently. “Hi,” he said softly.

“Hi,” she whispered back, returning his smile. Even though she was the one who initially put a stop to the kiss, she couldn’t help but lean in again and kiss him again. He didn’t protest and it was a slow, lazy kiss, tongues curling around each other and she wondered briefly how anyone could long for the kisses of someone else when they had his whenever they wanted. She finally dragged her mouth away and uncurled her legs from his waist and he frowned in protest and she let out a giggle as she pushed away from him.

“I kind of liked your legs exactly where they were,” he said with a sigh.

“I could tell,” she teased and he smirked. 

“Sorry, but those legs and your mouth, if my body wouldn’t have reacted I would have assumed it’s broken or dead,” he said with a shrug and a grin. Betty bit her lip and moved closer to him again. 

“You know, I was laying in the spa today and I was wondering what it would feel like to wrap my legs around you,” she admitted in a sultry tone as she slid her body against his. He groaned and gripped her hips to still her movements.

“You’re going to kill me,” he breathed, biting her earlobe and then sucking the skin behind it. 

“I should call it a night,” Betty sighed, tilting her head to give him more access. “I have a busy day of laying by the beach planned for tomorrow,” she informed him.

“So, I’ll know where to find you,” he said against her skin.

“Yes, you have been stalking me a bit lately,” she teased.

“Yes, a bit of a role reversal, usually I’m the one hiding and here I am, chasing a beautiful woman all over a resort,” he said with a laugh. Betty bit her lip and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“I don’t mind,” she admitted. “My ego needs a little stroking.”

“I’m pretty sure you don’t have ego,” Jughead laughed, giving her another soft kiss. She just shrugged and let him kiss her a little more and then when she felt herself wanting to get completely lost in him, she pushed away and moved over to the edge and pulled herself up and out of the water. “Well, I didn’t hate watching that,” he said with a smirk and she rolled her eyes and grabbed her cover and pulled it on. 

“Men,” she retorted.

“I prefer when you blushing and not rolling your eyes,” he laughed as he got out of the water. She made it a point not to look at him, as he was only wearing his briefs and she had no idea if he was still aroused or not. He pulled his pants on and she looked back and saw him grinning and she sighed. He noticed everything. Jughead walked her back to the cottage and she leaned against the door, not bothering to open it and smiled up at him.

“You barring me from coming in,” he asked with a smile.

“Yup,” she replied, her hands behind her back, holding on to the door handle. He put his hands in his pockets and she tried once again to not stare at his chest and his hard abdomen. 

“And if I find you on the beach tomorrow?” 

“I probably won’t complain,” she smiled. Jughead returned her smile and leaned down and gave her a soft kiss, keeping his hand in his pockets for which she was grateful because had he wrapped them around her, she may have just invited him in. He pulled back and winked at her.

“Good night Betty,” he said softly and backed away from her, as was his favorite way to leave it seemed. She let out a giggle when he stumbled and almost fell and he shook his head and laughed at himself. “Smooth Jughead,” he muttered as he turned and started down the beach toward his chalet. Betty grinned and let herself into the cottage and closed the door, leaning against it with a happy sigh. She was in trouble and she couldn’t bring herself to care.

 

The following day she chose the beach cabana to relax in and lay back on the cushions and pillows and let herself get lost in her book. These particular ones had white curtains that were pulled back but could be untied for complete privacy should someone choose to do so. She had been there for about an hour when he showed up and flopped unceremoniously down beside her, letting out a sigh of contentment. Betty raised her eyesbrows and looked at him.

“Won’t you join me?” she asked with a laugh.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he grinned, propping up on his elbow, his eyes slowly following the line of her body. “That’s….wow, that suit is…well….little,” he said, his eyes dark and heated. Betty blushed and her heart was pounding a little. She had chosen the string bikini on purpose and he was right, it left very little to the imagination, in all honestly, her lingerie covered her more. Her reasoning was simple. Jughead wanted normal and her body was the body of a mother who had given birth to twin girls and while she had given birth at 21 and had pretty much bounced right back to being slim, she had some stretch marks and her stomach wasn’t tight. While there really wasn’t any extra weight, it was soft and just slightly wrinkled, for lack of a better word, because she had been quite large carrying twins and it had stretched slightly more than could bounce back, but it wasn’t too noticable. The way he was staring made her realize she was being silly and he saw nothing wrong with any of it.

“I think it shrank on the flight,” she kidded with a nervous giggle and his eyes returned to hers and he grinned.

“Well, I’m certainly not complaining,” he assured her. She put her book down and tucked a hand behind her head and relaxed against the pillows.

“So, have you thought any more about your big career decision?” she asked curiously.

“Some, using your method of following my heart and honestly, what I love doing the most is writing. I had published a book before I got into movies and made it big and it had done pretty well before the masses realized that I was a writer and bought my book whether they thought it was good or not,” he chuckled. “I think holing up somewhere and writing for hours on end sounds like the most wonderful thing in the world to me.”

“So, you want to just hide out somewhere?” she asked curiously. 

“Yeah, sounds great,” he said with a smile.

“And besides writing, what do you really love?”

“Photography,” he said immediately. “I love taking pictures.”

“What kind of pictures?”

“Pictures of beautiful things,” he said softly, his hand moving to settle on her stomach. She sucked in a breath as his thumb stroked over her skin. Her eyes wandered over his face, thinking again how incredibly handsome he was. Betty lifted her hand and brushed the curl off his forehead that seemed to like sitting there and trailed her fingertips across his eyebrow and down his cheek.

“Do you ever take pictures of yourself?” she asked with a teasing smile.

“I don’t find myself all that beautiful, but you on the other hand, I could fill up a few memory cards with images of you,” he said softly, his hand lifting and his fingers making circles around her belly button. Despite her earlier relaxation, she grabbed his hand and stilled his movement. “Sorry,” he said quickly.

“It’s…I’m a little self-conscious,” she admitted, biting her lip.

“What? Why?” he asked in astonishment.

“My stomach is the least favorite part of my body,” she laughed. “Babies stretched it out a little,” Betty said, flushing with embarrassment. Jughead looked at it and furrowed his brow.

“Are you serious?” Jughead questioned in surprise. “There is literally nothing wrong with your stomach,” he insisted.

“Men never understand when us women fret about our bodies,” she laughed.

“No, we don’t because we think you’re beautiful no matter what. I never understood when my sister or my ex would freak out about gaining five, ten, hell even twenty pounds. Most of the time we don’t notice a thing,” he admitted.

“You wouldn’t notice if I gained 20 pounds?” she asked with a laugh.

“Probably not,” Jughead replied honestly. “If I did notice, I’d probably just be thrilled because there might be more to kiss,” he teased as he leaned down and nuzzled her neck. 

“You say the sweetest things,” she giggled, moving her head so he had more access. He leaned back up and trailed his finger along her jaw and down between her breasts, teasing along the very delicate string that he would only need to give a slight tug to undo. Betty held her breath as he dragged it lower over her stomach and along her hip, again playing with the string of her bikini bottom.

“You have no idea how much I want to take this off right now,” he said hoarsely, looking down into her eyes. He leaned down and she lifted her head to meet him, no teasing, no slowness, his mouth settling over hers in a deep, thorough kiss, his tongue sliding across her lips and dipping into her mouth when she opened it for him. Her heart was racing and a familiar ache started in her belly, making her roll against him. His hand moved down her side to her leg, sliding along her skin, feeling her curves as his tongue stroked against hers, a low groan escaping him. 

Jughead shifted and she was on her back with him leaning over her, his kiss making her tremble as she tasted him, her tongue chasing his when it retreated. His hand moved up her side and she squirmed against him when he brushed the side of her breast. 

“Jug,” she whimpered, moving restlessly against him. He knew what she wanted, brushing lightly over the tiny bikini top and she arched wildly into his touch. His mouth left hers and trailed kisses down her neck and he licked and sucked the skin of her collarbone, his thumb brushing lightly over the puckered nipple that strained against the flimsy material of her suit. She felt like she couldn’t breathe with the wild pounding of her heart and the ache intensifying between her legs. She could feel him against her thigh and she moved and shifted until he was settled between her legs and she couldn’t stop the ragged moan that escaped her when he pressed against her heat. 

“God, someone’s going to see,” she whimpered, her hand gripping his hair.

“Fuck,” he muttered, his mouth moving back to hers, kissing her again, unable to help himself as he moved against her.

“Jug?” she whimpered. “We have to stop.” He pulled away reluctantly, moving to the side and let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Bloody hell,” he breathed, adjusting his shorts which had grown rather tight. He sat up suddenly and got off the pillowed lounge and she sat up as well, her hand on her mouth.

“Where are you going?” she asked, her voice still breathless.

“I, God, I need to go for a run or something, hell I don’t know,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I just need to calm down,” he muttered and turned and jogged down the beach toward his chalet. Betty fell back on the pillows and let out a huff of air. Her body was still trembling and she was so aroused, it was hard to think straight. After a while she got up and headed back to her cottage. She figured hiding out from Jughead for the rest of the day would help clear her head. If he knocked on her door, she just wouldn’t answer.

He never came and she was both disappointed and relieved and soon enough she was getting ready for her set at the lounge. She kept her hair down and styled it into what she hoped looked like natural wind-blown waves and the dress she chose was a white baby doll style the floated around her and ended mid-thigh. She headed to the lounge and as she was going over the songs with the band, he walked in and took his usual place at the bar. She felt a shiver go through her as he watched her and she did her best not to screw up when she started to sing.

 

Jughead sipped his scotch as he watched her sing. Her dress as usual, was stunning and he wondered if there was anything she wouldn’t look good in. He wanted her so bad it physically hurt and he had spent the rest of the day, after he had run off on her like a fucking idiot, thinking about those legs and those lips and just everything about her. He had noticed the day before that she had taken her ring off and he had decided not to mention it because he didn't want her mind going to the reason of why she had been wearing it in the first place. He wanted her and he knew the ache wasn’t going to go away until he had her under him.

“You look a little intense tonight,” Reggie said with a smirk as he leaned against the bar across from him. She was almost done her set and Jughead was thinking he just wanted to pick her up and carry her to her cabin afterwards.

“Got a lot on my mind,” Jughead said with a sigh.

“A lot, as in Betty Cooper?” he asked with a smile.

“Maybe.”

“Well, you might want to pay attention because I’m pretty sure she’s singing to you,” Reggie said with a wink as he wandered off. Jughead looked back at Betty and forced his brain to focus on what she was singing. Her eyes locked with his as the words flowed over him.

_I don't care about tomorrow_  
_I've given up on yesterday_  
_Here and now is all that matters_  
_Right here with you is where I'll stay_  
_Your most innocent kiss_  
_Or your sweetest caress_  
_Seduces me_

His heart was hammering in his chest as he watched her and she kept her eyes on him.

_Every sigh in the night_  
_Every tear that you cry_  
_Seduces me, oh, seduces me_  
_And all that you do,_  
_Seduces me._

Jughead clenched his hand and he knew she could see on his face how much he wanted her and he could hear the slight tremble in her voice. When she finished, she took time to meet some of the people and then slowly made her way over to the bar. She couldn’t seem to meet his gaze and he took her hand and pulled her close to him. Betty felt like she was going to fall over, that’s how dizzy she was by the look in his eyes. 

"Let me walk you to your cabin," he said softly, his tone husky and needy. She worked hard to breathe normally, their little makeout that morning still fresh on her mind and she knew that if he walked her to her cabin, she was going to let him in and she started to panic.

“I…ummm…..you know what, I’m going to hang out here for a bit tonight, Jughead. Catch up a little with Reggie,” she said, her voice sounding strained. A look of confusion crossed his face but was gone almost instantly and she felt him give her hand a squeeze. His look told her that he understood, but he was unable to hide the disappointment. The heat was still there and she knew that he knew why she was doing it. He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to it.

“Good night Betty,” he said quietly and turned and left the lounge. Betty looked after him, her hands clenched, and she wanted to run after him, throw herself at him, demand that he take her to bed. She sighed and turned to the bar and was greeted by an exasperated frown from Reggie.

“You’re kidding, right?” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“What?” she asked as she sat down on the stool and took her tea.

“You just sent him on home, huh?” he said with a laugh.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just didn’t want to be walked to my cabin,” she insisted.

“Oh cut the shit, Betty. You two were eye fucking each other the entire time you were singing and I’m sorry but singing to a man about how he seduces you with his touch and kiss isn’t just an innocent song choice, now is it?”

“Reggie,” she sighed. “I just…”

“You just what? Will you just live a little for once in your life Betty? The man wants you and you clearly want him and I seriously don’t know what the hell you’re waiting for.”

“Why the hell do you care so much if I get laid or not?” she asked with a frown. “It’s weird.”

“I don’t care about that, but I do care about you and I’ve watched you do the right thing your entire life, and I think, just once in your life, you need to let loose and live a little.”

“Its not that simple,” she sighed.

“Yeah, it actually is. I mean, you like him, right?”

“Yes, of course I like him. That’s the problem!” she snapped. “I don’t just sleep with guys on a whim and this is a guy that’s completely out of my reach and I just think it would be pointless.”

“It being pointless is exactly the point,” Reggie laughed.

“But he’s….I mean, its….I’m a mother for God’s sake!”

“Betty, for once in your life, get the fuck out of your head and just do something for the sheer joy of being dumb. You have a week left here, and the opportunity to completely let go of all your insecurities and rules you’ve put in place for yourself and just have a good time. You have no idea how good it feels to just fucking let go,” Reggie insisted firmly, setting a shot of tequila in front of her. She looked at him and looked at the shot and let out a sigh.

“You want him?” he asked with a smirk.

“Yes, so much I almost feel like a nympho,” Betty sighed. “And you asking that and giving me this weird sex talk in really bizarre,” she added. She took the shot and downed it quickly and winced at the harsh burn. She stood and squared her shoulders. 

“Go get him,” Reggie winked and she rolled her eyes as she turned and left the lounge.

It took her 15 minutes to walk up the beach on the wooden path that connected all the cottages and chalets in the front along the sand. She climbed the stairs that led to the top of the cliff to the last chalet that she knew was his and took a deep breath. Her hands were trembling and her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest and before she could change her mind, she knocked on the door. 

He opened it a few moments later and he looked momentarily surprised but the look was quickly replaced by one that was filled with heat and desire when he realized why she was there. Jughead said nothing and she stood nervously as he took a step back. He lifted his hand and left it up to her to decide, waiting for her to either leave or take it with her own. Betty held his gaze and took his hand and he slowly pulled her into the chalet, closing the door softly behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song featured: Seduces Me by Celine Dion


	5. Romance and Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I’m not happy with this chapter, but enjoy! I hope....

Betty was nervous. It had been so long since she had been with a guy and certainly never with anyone like Jughead and she suddenly felt extremely unsure. Jughead smiled at her and she gave a shaky smile back as he walked up to her, taking her hands and resting his forehead on hers and she took a deep breath.

“This place is really beautiful,” she whispered, trying to calm her racing heart.

“It’s alright,” he replied, his thumbs smoothing over the backs of her hands.

“I’m really nervous,” Betty confessed, squeezing his hands, her nails digging into his skin.

“You don’t need to be,” Jughead assured her. “We don’t have to do anything.” She moved and rested her head on his shoulder, letting go of his hands to clutch his arms. She shook her head and took a shuddering breath.

“No, I want to,” she said softly, so softly he almost didn’t hear her. “I just haven’t been with anyone in a really long time.”

“Well, neither have I,” he replied with a chuckle. Betty leaned back and looked at him.

“A few years vs a few months isn’t the same thing,” she insisted.

“Well, it’s been like 8 months, so long enough,” he insisted. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple and another beside her ear. She let out a little sigh of contentment, her hands moving to his chest. His shirt was open, as usual and she smoothed over his warm skin, aching to be closer. His mouth moved to her neck and she tilted her head and her eyes fluttered closed when she felt his tongue touch her skin. They started moving and she assumed he was backing her towards the couch or something and she raked her nails lightly over his chest.

“I don’t do things like this,” she whispered when he kissed her wildly beating pulse point. She felt hot all over and his hands were stroking down her sides, settling on her hips. He trailed his lips back to hers and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. She suddenly went still and pulled back to look at him. “The last person you slept with was the model?” she asked with a wince.

“Stop it,” he said softly, knowing exactly where her mind was going. “I barely remember her name.” Now it was his turn to wince. “God, I sound like an asshole.”

“No, that’s good. She didn’t leave an impression,” Betty said with a quiet laugh.

“She didn’t. At all.” 

“Okay,” she said with a nod. She didn’t tell him that she didn’t actually care, she was just stalling because she was about to have a panic attack. He wasn’t fooled.

“Betty?”

“Yes?”

“We can watch a movie or something,” he said quietly. Betty thought the idea so ridiculous, she let out a giggle. She shook her head and bit her lip as she gazed shyly at him.

“I didn’t come here to watch a movie.”

“Why did you come here?” he asked softly, pulling her close again, his eyes dark and looking like a stormy sea.

“I wanted you to kiss me again.” He obliged her by pressing a soft kiss to her mouth.

“Is that all?” he asked, his lips brushing lightly against hers as he spoke. She shook her head, her hands sliding up his arms to rest on his shoulders. “What else?” he asked, his own hands sliding along her hips to her lower back as his tongue touched her lips lightly.

“I…I wanted you to….to touch me,” she said haltingly, feeling like her breath was leaving her lungs when his hands slid down over her backside, resting gently against her. He gave her another light kiss, his forehead touching hers, their breath mingling between them.

“Where?” he asked. She let out a whimper when his hands squeezed lightly, pulling her flush against him.

“Everywhere,” she whispered. She barely registered his groan before his mouth covered hers and she was swept away in his desperate kiss. Betty wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, the feel of his strong body and strong arms wrapping around her making her head spin. They were moving again and Betty felt her backside collide with something and Jughead suddenly grabbed her waist and lifted her and she found herself sitting on the console table behind the couch. His hands moved to frame her face as he stepped between her legs, his mouth moving hungrily over hers.

She grasped his hair and kissed him back eagerly, her tongue sliding along his as it sank into her mouth, his hands gripping her waist then sliding down past her skirt to move along her leg and back up under the material to rest on her upper thigh. Betty shifted and pressed herself closer to him, her legs coming up and around his hips. She could feel his arousal pressed against her and the jolt that went through her and the desire that pooled between her legs made her moan into his mouth.

“Tell me you want this,” he said hoarsely as his mouth moved down her neck, sucking and licking at the skin.

“I want this” she whimpered. “I want you.”

“Fuck,” he gasped heatedly. “I want you too. You have no idea….” His words trailed off as he kissed her again, pulling her to the edge of the table and pressing roughly against her and she gasped, her hands moving to push his shirt off his shoulders and roaming over his chest. Jughead trailed his mouth back down the side of her neck, stopping at her wild pulse to gently suck the skin causing her to buck against him and dig her nails into his skin. His mouth moved lower, whispering across the swell of her breasts that sat above her neckline.

“Jug,” she breathed, her hand moving to slide through his hair. When his tongue dipped into the valley between them she let out a shuddering gasp. Her body felt like it was on fire, his lips and tongue tasting her skin and leaving shivers and goosebumps in their wake. His tongue trailed back up and the feel of it on her skin was incredibly arousing. His hands brushed down her thighs and out from under her skirt to her waist and up her side, lifting his head to lock eyes with her as he gently brushed over her chest. Betty’s eyes fluttered closed and she arched into his touch and he cupped her breasts, squeezing gently. Her dress was light and thin and when his thumbs brushed over her nipples, he could feel them tighten at his touch and her small whimper made him twitch in his pants. 

“I want to touch you everywhere,” he murmured against her neck and she gripped his arms, her body feeling heavy with desire at his words. She tugged his face back to hers and kissed him passionately as his hands moved around her to find the zipper of her dress. She made no protest when he slowly pulled it down, his hand stroking the skin he exposed. He rested his forehead on hers as his fingers hooked the straps on her shoulders and he pulled them down her arms, the dress pooling at her waist. 

Jughead leaned back and gazed down at her, his breath leaving his mouth in a rush when he fixed his eyes on her breasts in a strapless lacy bra that left nothing to the imagination. He wrapped an arm around her waist and bent her back over it, dipping his head and closing his mouth over her nipple that was clearly visible under the flimsy lace. The ragged moan that left her mouth made him thrust against her as he swirled his tongue, soaking the lace, the peak beneath it hard and aching.

“Take me to bed,” she gasped, suddenly desperate to feel him everywhere. She didn’t have to ask him twice, his arms coming around her and lifting her off the table, her legs tightening around his waist. He took her mouth again in a drugging kiss as he walked them to the bedroom. Betty sucked on his bottom lip, tugging it before sliding her tongue in his mouth. God, he tasted good; like the fine scotch he had been drinking in the lounge. She came up for air just as they got into the room and it suddenly became very real to her and she hid her face in his neck, taking deep shuddering breaths. 

Jughead lowered her down on the huge bed and she watched, her lip between her teeth as he shrugged out of the shirt that still hung from his arms. Her eyes wandered eagerly over him, like they had been doing all week, taking in his lean hard body, the smooth skin, the V lines disappearing into his low slung pants. He bent over her, his hands taking hold of her dress at her waist.

“May I?” he asked quietly and she nodded and lifted her hips slightly as he tugged it down over her hips and off her body. She saw him swallow when he gazed down at her clad in only whisps of lace and he knelt on the bed, coming over her, braced on his hands and dragging his body along hers. “You are stunning,” he whispered against her mouth, his chest brushing against hers and arched her back to press against him.

Her hands were everywhere, hungry, desperate to touch him and he gasped against her mouth when she dragged her nails up his sides. Jughead took her hands and held them above her head, lifting her chest with the movement. He dipped his head teased the edge of the lace with his tongue, slipping under it before retreating again.

“Jug please,” she whimpered, tugging her hand free and sliding it into his hair, trying to guide his mouth where she wanted it. His teeth grazed her nipple and she cried out at the sensation, her body rolling along his, her legs wrapping around him as she pressed her aching core against him. He moved with her, nudging at her exactly right and it had her squirming and gasping for more. His fingers traced along the top of the lace of her bra and he slowly tugged it down, her breast spilling free. “Please,” she gasped, seeking some kind of relief when his thumb brushed over her nipple and it hardened almost painfully. He ducked his head and his tongue raked over the peak and she sobbed out a groan as his lips closed over her and he suckled on her and she arched eagerly into his mouth. He licked and sucked and bit lightly at her until she thought she was going to lose her mind. His hand stroked up her leg, gripping her thigh as his mouth moved across her chest to the other breast, pushing the lace aside. Betty arched and reached behind her, unhooking it and he tossed it aside. He stared down at her, her breasts full, the nipples hard and wet from his mouth.

“Those are amazing,” he said heatedly and she bit her lip and smiled shyly as he cupped one and dipped his head to devour them again. He moved a hand to her leg, running up the inside of her thigh and brushed lightly over her center and she lifted to him, knowing he could feel the heat through the lace. He shifted to the side a little and he stroked lightly against her and she dug her fingers into his sides, lifting to his touch. 

“Please touch me,” she begged, desperate now for anything to take away the furious ache that threatened to overwhelm her. Jughead took her mouth in a hungry kiss as he slipped his hand inside the lace, his fingers sliding into her folds and he let out a harsh groan at the silky heat he found. Betty couldn’t control the jerk of her hips at his touch, the pleasure racing through her and taking her breath, the ache intensifying and making her cry out.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he found her clit already swollen with need, her wet arousal coating his fingers. “I want to taste you,” he whispered against her mouth and she flushed red, her heart going into overdrive. It had been so long that she could hardly remember what that was even like. 

“Jug, I don’t…..its been….” She didn’t know what to say, trembling with need and want and he kissed her gently, his hand pulling away from her core, smoothing along her leg.

“Let me make you feel good Betty,” he said softly, kissing down her neck. “I’ll make you feel so good.” His words had her half way there already and she could only whimper in response, desperately wanting him to touch her again. His fingers hooked the waist band of her panties and he licked over her nipple as he stared up at her and she nodded and he tugged them down her legs and dropped them on the floor. He pulled back, kneeling between her legs and let his eyes sweep down her body. If she had any insecurites about it, they disappeared when she saw the look in his eyes. They darkened with lust and need and she was suddenly struck with a wave of courage and seduction and she bit her lip and slowly parted her legs. His eyes dropped to her center and he let out a low growl of need when he saw her glistening for him. 

Betty gripped the sheets as he lowered himself and placed a gentle kiss on her stomach. His fingers found her again, stroking her and she sucked in a breath when he slid one inside her. “Oh my god,” she breathed, feeling like all the sensation in her body was rushing down to where he was touching her. Then she felt his breath blow over her followed by a gentle flick of his tongue. “Fuck.” She couldn’t help the curse that whispered from her mouth. She forgot to breathe after that as his tongue swept over her, his groan vibrating against her and his hand smoothed over her thigh, pushing it wide as he licked and sucked like a man starved.

He slid a second finger inside, moving them back and forth, curling to add pressure as he latched on to her clit and started sucking. Betty took gasping breaths, her hand moving to weave through his head, holding him to her as she lifted to his tongue and fingers, the only coherent thought she could muster being that Jughead was certainly skilled with his tongue. She couldn’t stop it, her body so overwhelmed and she fell apart embarrassingly quickly, suddenly without warning, the tension snapping and she stiffened and tightened around his fingers, her cry of pleasure echoing around them.

“Again” he groaned, his mouth not releasing her, his fingers twisting inside her and her hand fisted in his hair, as she tried and was unable to stop the moans and whimpers that fell from her mouth. When he pulled his fingers out and his tongue pressed inside her, Betty let out a yell and bucked so violently, she was afraid for a second that she hurt him but his low groan and his hands pressing her thighs apart told her he enjoyed every sound and movement she made. 

“Oh god,” she breathed as she felt her second release rushing up on her. He pressed his fingers inside her again and his tongue swirled around her clit, flicking quickly over it and she fell apart, her eyes rolling back and her entire body stiffened then melted into the sheets as she shook in the aftermath, her legs trembling as he soothed his hands over them, his tongue slowing and moving gently as he brought her down. 

Jughead couldn’t decide where to touch her as his hands caressed her body, his mouth kissing his way up her body, the skin smooth and soft, her taste still on his tongue was intoxicating. He took her nipple in his mouth again and groaned when it puckered against his tongue, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. He was so hard, it was painful and all he wanted to was to bury himself inside her and stay there forever.

“So beautiful,” he whispered against her skin and her whimper made him twitch in his pants. Her hands stroked down his sides and when he got up to face level she kissed him eagerly and he thrust his tongue in her mouth, letting her taste herself and she let out a ragged groan, her hands flying to his belt and he could feel her fumble and shake as she tried to undo it. He helped her, desperate now to drive into her. They managed to get his pants open and shoved down his legs, pushing his boxers with them and he hissed out a breath when her hand wrapped around him, stroking him.

“Inside me,” she demanded and he’d be hard pressed to say he didn’t enjoy this sultry woman who was no longer shy and knew what she wanted. Jughead reached over to the side and thanked the universe for a resort so intent on customer service that they actually had condoms in the night stand. Betty helped him and only moments later he was brushing over her, biting back a groan as her heat coated him and he lifted his head and smoothed her hair off her face, looking down into her eyes and she nodded quickly and he slowly sank inside her, his breath leaving his lungs in a rush, his forehead falling to her shoulder as she surrounded him like liquid fire.

“Fuck, you’re tight,” he groaned, almost spilling right then and there. He knew it had been long for her and when he was completely inside her, he went still and took deep shuddering breaths to let her get used to him. She was so incredibly tight, he knew he was going to embarrass himself and gritted his teeth to gain some sort of control.

“Jughead, please move,” she whimpered, wiggling under him and straining up against him. The feel of her skin as she wrapped her body around him made him feel a little crazed and he had to take a few deep breaths before he pulled back slowly and then sank back in. Her mouth found his and they both moaned into each other at the feel of the delicious friction caused by the drag of their bodies. He braced on his forearms and kissed her thoroughly as he began a steady rhythm.

Betty wrapped her arms and legs around him, the feel of him on top of her and in her making her slightly delerious with pleasure. His body brushing against hers as they moved together. She felt so full as he moved, her body hugging him tight as he sank into her. Jughead lifted his head and held her gaze as they moved together, she felt her heart squeeze at the look in his eyes and she ran her hand through his hair, tugging him down and they exchanged soft, wet, breathy kisses, their gasps and moans mingling in their own song. She could feel him start to tremble and she pulled her knees back and he growled as he slid in deeper, his pace quickening as they raced toward release.

Jughead reached between them, his fingers stroking over her once more, desperate to bring her with him as he felt his release rushing up on him. “Come with me,” he groaned against her mouth as his thrusts became faster, his fingers moving quickly over her clit.

“Jug,” she moaned, straining against him as the heat uncoiled deep inside and she felt her body rush to the edge quickly and she went wild, bucking against him and he groaned, rubbing harder as she felt his body start to stiffen. Then the pleasure swept over her and her eyes rolled back in her head, her body arched off the bed as her orgasm ripped through her in waves that had her crying out his name. She barely registered the loud growl that left Jughead’s lips and his body stiffening and shuddering as he thrust deep a few times, coming hard right after her.

“Oh my god,” she cried out as the pleasure pulsed and rolled over her until she completely lost her breath. She could feel her body clenching repeatedly and the gasps against her neck told her Jughead was in the same condition she was in and then he collapsed on her and she wrapped all around him as she shuddered and shook and they lay there like that, gasping against each other, their sweat slicked bodies pressed together, his mouth pressing soft kisses to her neck. A long while later he slowly pulled away and moved to the side and she stared at the ceiling, trying desperately to catch her breath and think clearly. He rolled away from her and grabbed some tissue and cleaned up, throwing it in the trash bin next to the bed when he was done. 

He rolled back to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, placing soft kisses on her jaw and cheek and she curled into him as he pulled the sheet up the bed and over them. She pulled back and looked at him and blushed when she saw the satisfied smile on his face. 

“That was amazing,” she whispered, trying to calm her racing heart; that at present had nothing to do with the mind blowing orgasm she had just had and everything to do with the deep blue of his eyes and the way he was looking at her.

“You’re amazing,” he said softly, his thumb smoothing over her cheek. “Any regrets?” She shook her head and smiled.

“That felt to damn good to regret it. Everyone was right, I really needed that,” she laughed. “You’re…um….very good at all that,” she said with a blush. 

“Thank you,” he said smugly and she rolled her eyes. “Also, I should thank your uncle and whoever decided that good hospitality was to make sure all bedrooms had a box of condoms in the drawer.”

“What, you mean you didn’t pack any?” she said with a grin.

“No, I didn’t,” he laughed. “I wasn’t planning on hooking up.” He went still and pulled back slightly. “God, that sounded….Betty, I didn’t mean it like….”

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “That is essentially what we’re doing,” she said with a small shrug. “Right?” She lay her head on his shoulder and ran a hand over his abdomen.

“I guess,” he said. “Just sounds like it doesn’t mean….” His voice trailed off and she knew what he had meant to say and she didn’t press him to finish, not allowing herself to think this meant anything. It was a fling. Nothing more. She shivered when she felt his hand feel its way over her hip and settle on her backside, giving it a light squeeze. His mouth pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and she lifted her head to look at him, her hand lifted and she traced her finger along the line of his lip and he placed a soft kiss on the tip. Betty shifted and pressed her mouth to his and he kissed her back immediately, tugging her on top of him and she lost herself in his mouth and hands once again.

By the time they drifted off to sleep, they were both exhausted and well sated. She fell asleep on top of him, his hands still roaming over her as sleep claimed him as well. 

 

When she woke the next morning, the sun was streaming in the window and Betty squinted against the harsh light. She let out a moan as she stretched out her sore muscles, a smile on her face as she recalled the night and the reason for all the delicious soreness she felt. She turned her head and found Jughead’s side of the bed empty but there was a note on the pillow. She picked it up and read over it.

_Went for a run, be back soon._

She smiled and put it back on the pillow and stretched again. She ran a hand down her body and felt a shiver go through her. They had spent half the night making love and Jughead Jones certainly knew what he was doing in that department, whether he claimed to have limited partners or not, he was skilled. She doubted she would ever forget what his hands and mouth felt like on her. As she really looked around the room she was blown away at how beautiful it was. It was dark rich wood from top to bottom and the view was spectacular, an ocean view everywhere she looked. She grinned when she heard a noise in the front room and guessed she had slept longer than he thought she would as he seemed to be back from his run. Betty got out of bed and looked around for her clothes and saw his shirt laying on the floor and she picked it up and slipped it on, buttoning just a couple of buttons and headed to the front. 

“Good morning handsome,” she said happily as she walked around the corner. She came to a dead stop and froze in shock as she stared at the raven haired woman standing by the counter who was looking at her in surprise. Betty quickly pulled the shirt more securely around her and the woman’s eyes narrowed.

“Who the fuck are you?” she snapped, hands settling on her hips. Betty felt like her heart stopped as she tried to form a sentence. She had seen the pictures often enough in tabloids as this woman was often by Jughead’s side. His sister and publicist, Jellybean Jones.

“I…umm….is Jughead….?” she was rambling and panicked and started to back towards the bedroom.

“No, Jughead is not here and again, who the hell are you? Is he seriously shaking up with fucking groupies now?” the woman asked angrily. Betty rushed into the bedroom and looked around for her dress and his sister had no qualms in following her. 

“I’m not…I’m not a groupie,” Betty said quickly, feeling like a complete idiot. She felt tears sting her eyes as she tried to slip into her dress without taking the shirt off. The woman rolled her eyes and turned around and Betty quickly slipped into her dress and when she turned around again she raised an eyebrow and looked her over.

“Well, that’s a lovely dress, who are you exactly?” Betty looked around quickly to see if she left anything else, trying really hard to not burst into tears. 

“I sing….” She managed to gasp out, sounding much like she was being strangled. “In the lounge.” His sister laughed and folded her arms across her chest.

“He’s fucking the help?” she laughed. “Jesus, I know he needed a vacation but this is not like him at all. My brother doesn’t normally settle for trashy tramps trying to get in his bed.” Betty said nothing, her heart feeling constricted and so painful in her chest, and all she wanted was to get out of there.

“I’m gonna go,” she said in a shaky voice as she hurried to the door. The woman yelled something after her but Betty didn’t register it as she hurried away, tears blurring her eyes.

 

Jughead jogged up to the chalet and let himself in, unable to keep the grin off his face at the hope of finding Betty still curled up in his bed. 

“Hey beautiful, you still….” His voice trailed off and he stared at his sister in shock. “Jellybean? What the hell are you doing here?” He froze suddenly and looked around. “Where’s Betty?” he asked in a rush, hurrying to the bedroom and finding it empty. 

“Oh, the little piece of tail you were banging? I kicked her out.”

“Piece of…what? No, she’s….no, no, no,” he muttered in horror. “What the fuck did you do?” he yelled. He didn’t wait for an answer as he pulled open the door and left the chalet at a dead run. Jughead didn’t remember the last time he ran so fast and he made it to Betty’s cottage in record time, his heart hammering in his chest. He ran up to the door and started banging on it.

“Betty? Are you in there? Betty, open up!” he yelled as he hammered the door with his fist, a sick feeling twisting in his gut. The door swung upon and his heart broke when he saw her red rimmed watery eyes. “Betty,” he breathed, reaching a hand out and he stopped when she backed away. “I’m so so sorry, Betty.”

“Your sister is lovely,” she said sarcastically, her hand gripping the doorknob.

“I’m sorry Betty, she didn’t know,” Jughead said hurriedly.

“She didn’t know what? There isn’t anything to know,” Betty said, her chin quivering.

“She didn’t realize we’re….” Jughead trailed off as Betty shook her head quickly.

“We’re? There isn’t any _’we’_ Jughead. We’re nothing and your sister reacted how she should have,” Betty insisted, lowering her eyes. 

“No, she was a bitch and she had no right,” Jughead said angrily. 

“She was a good reality check,” Betty said with a laugh, wiping angrily at the tear that slipped from her eye. “This whole fantasy I let myself get caught up in, forgetting about real life with this super hot guy at a resort, she brought a really good dose of reality and it woke me up. Let’s not pretend that last night was anything more than what it was. A really fantastic one night stand. It was amazing Jughead and I’ll never forget it, but now it’s back to the real world and it’s fine.”

“Betty, come on, this is….” Jughead began, his voice pleading.

“It’s fine, Jughead,” Betty said and he knew by the brokenness of her voice that she didn’t believe it was fine at all. “I’m fine….well as fine as a trashy tramp can feel, I guess,” she couldn’t help but add in a sad whisper and she gave him a small smile. 

“What the fuck?” he gasped.

“I’ll see you around.” She backed away and closed the door and he swallowed, his heart in his throat. 

“Fuck!” he snapped, slamming his hand on the door. He felt his anger burn through him and he turned and stormed back to his chalet. When he threw the door open, Jellybean jumped up from the couch and had the decency to look nervous.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he said furiously, slamming the door behind him. 

“You were dodging my damn texts and emails and I need you to sign some release shit for your movie and upcoming premiere,” she explained, glaring at him.

“You called her a trashy tramp?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“Jughead, you’re sleeping with the fucking resort workers, what was…”

“She’s not a resort worker!” he snapped. “And even if she was, it’s none of your god damned business.”

“She told me she sang in the lounge.”

“Yes, she does, but she’s here on vacation just like I am. Her uncle owns the place and she’s an amazing singer, not that I have to explain any of this shit to you. She’s not some fucking groupie that just managed to weasel her way into my bed. I like her!” Jellybean raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes.

“What do you mean, you like her? Oh I’m sure she loved that. Jughead Jones liking her. Don’t think for a second that that wasn’t her plan so she could….”

“That’s not how it happened,” Jughead growled. “She didn’t even…I mean, I wanted to…”

“Are you kidding me?” his sister laughed, hands on her hips. “You were seducing her and she was playing hard to get? Oh that’s rich.”

“Just stop!” Jughead said angrily. “You know nothing about her so just stop. She’s amazing and one of the nicest and sweetest people I’ve ever met. There isn’t a mean or manipulative bone in her body and yes, I was seducing her, because I liked her and she wanted no part of this and she was apprehensive and unsure and after last night, everything was so amazing and you had to show up here and be a fucking bitch and now she doesn’t want anything to do with me!”

“And when your vacation is done? What then?”

“I have no idea, we didn’t think that far ahead and maybe nothing would have happened, I don’t know, but I wanted to spend the week with her and get to know her better and now that’s shot straight to hell, so thanks for that,” he muttered angrily, opening a bottle of water and taking a long drink.

“Okay, Jughead, I know the last couple of years have been hard and you’re a little lost lately, but use your fucking head. You can’t seduce some woman you’ll probably never see again and expect there to be no collateral damage here. If I messed up whatever the hell you were doing here, then good. You’re being an idiot,” Jellybean said flatly. Jughead glared at her and slammed down his water bottle.

“Why are you here?” he snapped.

“You need to sign some shit,” she reminded him just as angrily.

“Where is it?” Jellybean rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag and pulled out a pile of papers with arrow stickers that showed the many lines he had to sign. He held out his hand for a pen and she gave him one and he silently and determinedly signed every line until he got through the pile. When he was finished he shoved it across the counter and slammed the pen down on top of it. 

“Now leave,” he ordered.

“Seriously, Jughead, I just fucking got here.”

“Take your shit and go,” he insisted. She stuffed the papers back into her bag and stood staring at him in anger.

“You’re being an asshole and I don’t appreciate it. Next time, answer your fucking texts and this wouldn’t have happened,” she said firmly. Jughead leaned against the counter saying nothing. Jellybean sighed and walked around to stand beside him. “Look, I know you’ve been feeling all out of sorts lately and you’re still angry at Sabrina…”

“I’m over Sabrina,” Jughead said with an angry glare. “It’s been two years.”

“Yeah, well she’s been calling me.”

“What?” he asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Her lover run out on her already?”

“Jughead, she feels horrible about how everything went down and she would love to talk to you about it. I mean, I think if you gave her a chance….” Jellybean said slowly.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me right now,” he said with a laugh. “Get the fuck out of here with that bullshit. I want nothing from Sabrina. _Nothing!_ ”

“Jug…”

“Go Jellybean. Before I really lose my fucking temper even more. And don’t ever follow me on a vacation again!” he snapped and strode into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

 

Jellybean Jones walked into the lounge to get herself a drink while she waited for her ride to take her back to the private airstrip. She was told it would be 15 minutes and she figured she would get a drink for the road. She was standing off to the side in the shadows when she saw the woman she had thrown out of Jughead’s chalet walk up to the bar. She felt a little guilty when she saw her face and realized she had obviously been crying. She stepped back further so she wouldn’t be seen and listened.

“Hey Betty, are you okay?” the bartender asked as he walked up to her.

“Yeah, I’m okay Reggie. Listen, I’m not feeling very well today and I’m going to need to cancel my set,” she said quietly, her voice sounding a little shaky.

“What the fuck did he do?” the man demanded immediately. “Did last night go badly?”

“It was fine,” she said softly. “He was wonderful.”

“Then why do you look like you’ve been crying? And don’t bullshit me, I’ve known you a long time and I know when somethings wrong.”

“It’s okay, it’s all fine. I just woke up this morning and reality came crashing down around me and I realized how stupid I’d been and as much as I like him, this was just a vacation thing, you know?”

“Betty,” the man sighed, reaching for her hand. Jellybean watched her pull away quickly and shake her head.

“No, it’s okay. I mean, it’s good to just stop with all this foolishness now. I mean, if we spent the rest of the week together and I really started to like him, well then going back home alone would be so much harder, you know? And I have my kids to think about and I need to go home clear headed and this was all just such a bad idea.” Kids? She had kids? 

“Jesus Christ, Jughead,” Jellybean muttered under her breath. Sometimes her brother didn’t have a lick of sense.

“Betty, I think you already do like him a lot,” the bartender said softly. 

“Yeah, and it’s all your fucking fault,” the woman suddenly said angrily. “Encouraging him to talk to me, to pursue me and then practically shoving me into his arms. What the hell were you thinking?” 

Wait, the bartender set them up? Jellybean sighed and rolled her eyes. This was like a god damned soap opera. Well, at least it appeared to now have come to a stop and she figured she saved them all a dose of heartache later on. 

“I just wanted you to let loose a little,” the man said with a shrug.

“Well, next time mind your own business.”

Jellybean backed away and headed back outside to find her ride had arrived. She made a mental note to never book her brother another vacation at this resort again. She hoped he came home unscathed and that this woman didn’t go to the press. Confidentiality agreements or not, if her uncle owned the place, she doubted he would sue her for talking. She sighed. She hoped her brother was right and that this woman wasn’t like all the other floozies who threw themselves at him. This could all blow up in his face.

 

Jughead went to the lounge that evening and felt his gut twist when he saw the announcement that Betty was not going to be performing due to illness. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath and walked over to the bar. He was greeted with a furious glare from Reggie.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” he demanded.

“I didn’t do anything,” Jughead said sadly. “My sister showed up this morning and kicked Betty out of my chalet when I was on a run. She thought she was some groupie and said some stupid shit and now Betty doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

“Seriously? What the hell? You didn’t know she was coming?”

“No, I was dodging her texts and emails. Big fucking mistake on my part and she fucked everything up. I just want to talk to Betty and make sure she’s okay, even if she doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore.”

“Listen Jughead, I know I have a habit of meddling and maybe I shouldn’t, but I’m pretty sure if you try hard enough, or catch her off guard, she will listen to you and maybe you can smooth things over. Betty has always been very hard on herself and it kills me that she’s sitting there feeling sorry for herself right now. So, go fix it,” Reggie said. Jughead nodded and left the lounge and headed to Betty’s cottage. He was about to knock on the door when he heard the TV around the side and he walked around the corner to the back of the cottage where Betty had the sliding doors wide open and was sitting on couch searching for something to watch. 

“Hey,” he said softly, leaning against the door frame of the slider, hands in his pockets. She jumped and looked at him in surprise. He felt the ache once again at how beautiful she was. She wore a simple sun dress, her hair up in a messy bun and he thought she was more stunning than anyone he had come across in Hollywood by far. “Can I come in?” Betty didn’t say anything, just stared at the screen and pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. Jughead pulled away from the frame and slowly walked over to her and sat down. They sat in silence for a while before he spoke. 

“I’m so sorry, Betty,” he said softly, reaching for her hand. She let him take it, turning to look at him. “I’m sorry about the things she said, she had no right and it kills me that she hurt you. Last night was so amazing and I haven’t felt so amazing in such a long time and when I went for a run, I didn’t even go as far as I normally do because I just wanted to come back and get into bed with you again and when I came back and…..God, I felt so awful when I realized what happened. I’m so incredibly sorry,” he finished, his hand clinging tightly to hers.

“It’s okay Jughead,” Betty said quietly. “It was…”

“No,” he interrupted. “Please don’t say ‘it was nothing’ and that we’re nothing. I know we just met and I know this has been just having fun and flirting and sex but please don’t say it was nothing. It was amazing and I’ll never forget it. And we’re not _’nothing’_ , we’re friends and we have been since we started talking. I love spending time with you and you’ve made the last few days so much fun and I was so looking forward to the rest of the week, spending time with you and having fun with you and I just don’t want you to think that this is nothing.”

“I’m sorry I said that,” she said sadly, squeezing his hand. “I’m just….i don’t regret last night, Jughead. I don’t. You are right, it was amazing. I’m just scared that maybe I went into this with blinders on and I thought it would just be fun and we’d have a great time and we’d go back to our lives with fun memories and life would go on. I guess, with your sister kind of throwing ice on this whole thing, I’m just….i’m scared.”

“Why?” he asked softly. 

“Because it hurt,” she whispered. “I didn’t want this to hurt.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. She let him, curling into his side. “I know last night was wonderful, but we don’t have to keep doing that Betty. It can be a one night stand if you want it to be. I just don’t want to stop hanging out with you while we’re still here. It would suck on so many levels and I really don’t want that. I really want us to be friends and have fun like we were doing. I can cut back on the flirting, if you want,” he added with a smile.

“I’d like that,” she said with a nod. “To still have fun and hang out. Maybe last night wasn’t the smartest idea, to go at that so quickly and maybe we shouldn’t do it again,” she added softly. 

“Whatever you want, Betts,” he agreed. She smiled at his nickname and wrapped her arms around his neck and let him hold her.

“Your sister is very pretty,” she muttered grudgingly against his neck.

“Yeah well, she’s not my favorite person right now.”

“She was looking out for you,” Betty sighed.

“She acts before she thinks, all the fucking time and this time, she hurt someone I happen to like and I’m going to be pissed off for a while. I made her leave.”

“Why was she here? It was a little shocking. I walked into the kitchen wearing just your shirt and shocked the hell out of her.”

“Bloody hell,” he muttered. “I missed you in my shirt?” She chuckled and he gave her a squeeze. “I had been dodging her and I had some shit to sign that apparently couldn’t wait.” Betty cuddled close, his warmth making her burrow into him, his hand stroking up and down her back making her get goosebumps all over. Memories of the previous night started to rush through her mind and she closed her eyes and tried not to think of his hands and mouth, tried not to think about how he felt inside her. They were doing the right thing, just sticking to being friends, no benefits, just friends. Her fingers curled in the hair at the nape of his neck, and she tried desperately to calm her suddenly racing heart.

It was a losing battle as his warm and strength seeped into her. His scent was intoxicating. Like fine brandy and sunshine. She shifted closer and her breath was fanning against his neck and she couldn’t seem to help herself as she pressed a soft kiss on the skin. She felt him go still and she did it again. All her reasoning and the horrible events of the morning fled from her mind as her body came alive. She couldn’t deny it, she still wanted him. Jughead stayed still, although his hold on her tightened, as she placed soft kisses along his jawline, moving to the corner of his mouth. She moved and straddled his lap, resting her forehead on his, her breathing hitched and shaky as she placed a soft kiss on his mouth.

“Betty,” he whispered, his lips brushing hers, the question clear in his voice. She could feel his body responding to her and she let out a whimpered breath as she moved against him just slightly, giving him a chance to tell her to get off him, to remember how this was a bad idea, to not forget that they weren’t going to have sex anymore. He didn’t do any of those things. He moved lightly against her, kissed her tentatively, lightly brushing his mouth over hers and she got the feeling he was waiting for her to come to her senses just as she was waiting for him. 

Betty kissed him again, her hands moving to rest on his neck, her thumbs brushing against his jaw, breathing into him, pressing more firmly against him. She felt like she had no control over herself, only that she wanted him. She knew she was confusing him but all she could think about was how good it had felt to be with him the night before and she ached for him again. Jughead’s hand came up and slid into her hair and he began to kiss her in earnest, longer, deeper kisses and soon they were gasping into each other’s mouths, moving against each other, their tongues stroking against each other. He was hard and she couldn’t help but grind against him, moaning into his mouth as the pleasure slowly moved through her.

“Jug,” she whimpered, when his mouth moved down her neck, sucking at the skin, his tongue licking over her collarbone. All reason flew out the window and she pulled on his shirt, moving back a moment to yank it over his head. Her hands devoured him as if she had forgotten what he felt like and his hand moved under her skirt, brushing between her legs and groaning when he felt the heat and dampness of her lace. Betty reached down and fumbled with his belt, opening it and undoing his pants, reaching in and wrapping her hand around him. He was heavy and pulsing and he bucked against her as she stroked him. 

When his fingers pushed aside the material of her panties and rubbed over her folds she let out a cry of need, moving against his hand. She knew she was soaking, her arousal coming fast and furious and she pulled him free from his boxers and his hands shook as he adjusted her, clothing moved to the side and she lifted and brushed over him before sinking down, taking him deep inside her.

“Oh god, you feel good,” she whispered hoarsely, lifting and sinking down again, her body shaking at how full of him she was, how deep he was. 

“Fucking hell,” he gasped, gripping her hips and helping her move on him. “You’re so wet and tight.” His hands moved to her front and he fumbled open a few buttons, enough to free her breasts and he pulled down the lace of her bra and dipped his head to take a nipple in his mouth. She gasped and pressed into him, the suction of his mouth on her nipple causing pleasure to shoot down between her legs. He released it with a wet pop and dragged his tongue up her neck and then it was sliding into her mouth and she sucked on it, his groan at her eagerness vibrating through her.

“Touch me,” she gasped, moving faster on him, mindless on anything but release and when he reached between them, it only took a few quick strokes of his fingers over her clit and her head fell back as she clenched hard on him, her release sudden and intense. “Oh god,” she moaned, rocking against him and she could feel his body start to tighten as he thrust up into her and then he quickly pulled out, and she wrapped her hand around him, stroking tightly as he spilled over her hand, her name coming from his mouth in a harsh gasp.

“Fuck,” he groaned, moving with her hand until he was finished and sagged back against the couch. Betty wilted against him, her body trembling, her breathing harsh. “Holy shit,” he whispered against her neck, his arms holding her tightly. They sat pressed together for a few minutes, their breathing and shaking subsiding and returning to normal. “I think I made a mess of your dress,” he said sheepishly.

“I can wash it,” she whispered with a smile.

“So, is this how we hang out as friends?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

“God, don’t apologize,” Jughead sighed. “I’m not complaining in the least. We may need to redo that conversation though,” he suggested. Betty leaned back and stared at him, her lip between her teeth. “I’m guessing sex is back on the table?”

“Or the couch,” she said with a smile. 

“You okay?” he asked gently, brushing a few escaped tendrils of hair off her face. 

“Yeah, I am. I’ll admit, your sister burst my bubble this morning, but you kind of just made another one and I’m rather liking it,” Betty admitted.

“So, we’re…..doing what exactly?” he asked softly.

“Spending the rest of our vacation together, in the most delicious way possible?” she suggested. Jughead smiled and her heart fluttered again. Why the hell was he so hot? She smiled back and he hugged her close.

“Do you want to spend the rest of your time with me?” he asked, his voice husky and soft. “In my chalet?”

“Like move out of this one and into yours?” she asked in surprise.

“Only if you want,” he added quickly. “Or we can stay here. I actually prefer this one if I’m going to be honest.”

“Okay,” she agreed with a smile. “But we’ll stay at yours because you actually paid for it and I didn’t pay for this and I refuse to let you waste your money. As long as no more women show up.” He winced and she laughed, pressing a kiss to his mouth. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered against his mouth. “Unless you want to help me out of this dress and into the shower.”

“I would love to,” he grinned. She climbed off his lap and he stood and she let out a yell when he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom to the ensuite. “Your nightstand has condoms too, right?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes,” she giggled and he turned and took the long way to the shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was nice and decided not to leave a nasty cliffhanger and had them "make up" so to speak. The next chapter or so will be quite smutty ;) haha and then back to reality....yikes!


	6. Sun, Sand and Sex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gettin' it while they can ;)

Betty opened her eyes and squinted against the bright sunlight. She shifted and bumped into a warm hard body and a smile spread across her face. This was a much better way to wake up than the previous day had been. She rolled into him and threw her leg over his stomach and he let out a small grunt as he woke up. He opened an eye and squinted at her before closing it again.

“This may be my favorite way to wake up,” he said sleepily, keeping his eyes closed against the bright light.

“No run this morning?” she asked softly, placing a soft kiss on his chest.

“No way. I learned my lesson yesterday,” he said with a laugh. “If you’re in bed with me, I’m not leaving it.” She smiled at him and felt almost privileged that she got to see him relaxed and himself, almost vulnerable in a way. The world got Jughead Jones, the actor, the model, the person he wanted them to see which wasn’t necessarily himself but who they wanted him to be. She got him soft and seductive, hair messed from sleep, yawning and lazy, completely himself without all the pretense. Not to mention the incredible lover that it seemed only a few women had had the honor of getting to know. He wasn’t selfish or arrogant and he didn’t just expect her to want to do things he wanted without regard of her feelings. He was attentive and gentle and taking care of her every step of the way and making sure she was alright. She was getting to see the real man behind the image and fantasy and she really liked him.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, tucking a hand behind his head. She realized she had gotten lost in her thoughts and gave him a smile.

“Just thinking that I like you,” she admitted with a small laugh.

“Oh yeah?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“I was thinking about how you aren’t at all how you present yourself, or maybe not how you present yourself, but how they make you appear in magazines and all that. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.”

“This?”

“Well, sexy is a given,” she grinned. “But I was expecting arrogant, full of yourself. You know we all think about what it would be like to have sex with you, lets be real,” she said with a laugh. “I guess the way I figured you’d be was maybe demanding, kind of controlling in bed because you probably could be like that with anyone and get away with it.”

“Ouch, really?” he asked with a frown.

“Sorry,” she winced. “Blame the gossip rags.”

“So, what’s the real me?” he asked softly.

“Soft and kind. Funny and sweet. Very attentive in bed,” she said with a blush.

“Is that so?” he asked, rolling to his side and nuzzling her neck. She lifted her chin to give him better access and let out a content sigh. He lifted his head and grinned down at her. “So you imagined having sex with me before you met me?” he asked smugly. She rolled her eyes and gave him a shove.

“See, now the arrogant celebrity is peeking out,” she laughed. He grabbed her and pulled her on top of him.

“Nope, that’s just an arrogant man enjoying the fact that you fantasised about me,” he teased. “But if it makes you feel any better, I was pretty much doing the same thing about you 10 seconds after I spilled your drink on you.” Now it was her turn to smile smugly. “God, these legs haunted my dreams for a couple of nights,” he groaned, running his hands along them.

“So what exactly is the plan?” she asked, resting her chin on her hands that she piled on his chest. “We’re just going to stay in bed all week?”

“Well, that does sound tempting,” he grinned. “But there are a few activities I’d like to do with you.”

“And will we survive the week unscathed?” she wondered softly. “This is a first for me, a sexual relationship that has an expiry date.”

“We’ll be alright,” he assured her.

“Yeah, yeah, famous last words,” she sighed.

“Are you worried?” he asked quietly. “We can always…”

“Yes, I know. We can stop. You keep saying that and we keep ending up in bed, so that’s clearly not going to happen if we are within a few feet of each other,” she laughed. “I guess I’m just apprehensive about it all still. Part of me thinks we’re being completely irresponsible and stupid and the other half is like; relax and enjoy. So, it’s like a constant war inside me. Like I said the other day. I don’t do this sort of thing. Ive only ever been with one guy and that’s because I cared about him.”

“Well, you like me, does that count?” he asked with a gentle smile. She studied his face and saw the tender look in his eyes and smiled.

“Yeah, it counts,” she replied softly. “Problem is, you’re so damn good at this sex stuff, I’ll probably compare anyone else I sleep with to you for the rest of my life,” she said with a sigh. His smug grin made her roll her eyes once more. He lifted his head and kissed her and she sank into it, opening for his tongue and wiggling against him as he kissed her lazily, his hands moving down her body. When he pulled away she gave a satisfied sigh.

“You’re an amazing kisser,” she said happily. 

“Thank you,” he replied gruffly. “I really like your mouth and that probably helps,” he added with a chuckle.

“Mmmmmm, what time is it?” she asked as she snuggled close. He grabbed the phone off her bedside table and squinted at it.

“11:15.”

“What?” Betty exclaimed, jumping up in shock. “Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit!”

“What’s going on?” he asked in confusion as she jumped off the bed and grabbed her phone to see if she had messages.

“I’m supposed to meet my uncle for lunch and for whatever he has planned this afternoon,” she said in a rush. “I have 45 minutes to get my ass ready. He said to meet him at 12:00 sharp.”

“You won’t be around this afternoon?” Jughead asked, his disappointment evident. 

“Gosh, no, I’m sorry,” she said with a frown, pausing to look at him. ‘I completely forgot to tell you.”

“It’s alright,” he shrugged. "I’ll see you in the lounge later?”

“I’m not singing tonight. My uncle has another resort on an island about 40 miles from here. I sing one night there every time I’m here and that’s today. We’re heading over there for the afternoon and the evening.”

“Oh,” he said softly, unable to hide his disappointment. “I don’t suppose I could tag along? I sound like a pathetic idiot but I just kinda want to spend every minute with you until we have to leave,” he said, sitting up and leaning back on his hands.

“You could I guess, but it’s not a private resort, that one. People don’t have to sign any confidentiality agreements and if you come, it’s at your own risk. Someone will recognise you, I’m sure,” Betty explained.

“Dammit,” he muttered. “I don’t want that, like at all!” Betty smiled and knelt back on the bed and crawled over to him. She gave him a soft kiss and then another.

“How about, as soon as I get back on the island, I come to your chalet and I tell you all about my day,” she suggested softly. He smiled and lifted up to kiss her again.

“Promise? You’ll come right over?”

“I promise and tomorrow I can bring all my shit there.” 

“Okay, deal. But you’re mine for the next 5 days then.”

“Deal,” she said with a smile. His hand rested on the back of her neck and he pulled her in for another deep, lusty kiss.

“Mmmmm, I have to go,” she murmured against his mouth. He kept kissing her and she pulled away reluctantly. “I have to go.”

“But I want to kiss you more,” he grumbled and she grinned and kissed him again before shimmying back and standing up, leaving him to flop back on the bed. “Unfair,” he called out as she jumped in the shower. “I could always join you in there.”

“Don’t you dare, I’ll never leave then,” she replied. 

Jughead grinned and tucked a hand behind his head and grabbed his phone to scroll his social media. Nothing was happening that he was interested in and he ignored all the posts tagging him and wondering where he was. He went into the different platforms and turned off tags and any other ways people had of messaging him that he could and then turned his phone off.

When Betty came out of the shower she pulled on another of her sundresses and went to the closet to choose a gown to bring along with all the other things she would need later on to get ready. She was going through them and trying to decide which one she wanted to bring along to sing in.

“The lavender one,” Jughead offered with a smile as he lay watching. She pulled it from the closet and held it up to herself. It was a spaghetti strap dress that showed a hint of cleavage and the skirt flowed down to the floor. “What do you call all that?” he asked.

“Chiffon,” she replied with a smile. “Why did you choose this one?” Betty asked curiously.

“Because I want to peel it off you later,” he said with a wink.

“Of course you do,” she laughed as she put the dress in a garment bag. She packed a small bag with everything she would need to get ready and glanced at the time again. “Okay, I have to run meet my uncle. Make sure you lock up when you leave and I’ll see you tonight,” she said as she came over and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled her down and gave her a thorough kiss and she sighed when she pulled away. 

“Stay with me,” Jughead murmured against her cheek and she bit her lip and pulled back. “God, you are sexy as hell,” he sighed. She blushed and shrugged.

“I’ll be back soon,” she giggled and gave him another quick kiss and left the cottage.

Jughead lay back in the bed and let out a long sigh. He wanted her to come back because he missed her smile already. And her blush. It was clear that Betty hadn’t had a lot of compliments thrown her way as she blushed every time he called her beautiful or sexy. That or it had been a really long time, which he figured was the case since she had been wearing a ring for the past few years to scare off men, which clearly meant that without the ring, she got a fair share of attention. That wasn’t hard to imagine because she was beautiful.

Jughead thought back to the previous day and his gut twisted again at the pain he’d seen in her eyes after her encounter with Jellybean. To have such an amazing night and then to wake up to his dragon of a sister had jarred her and he wished he could rewind and save her from it. Jellybean was out of line and yes he was furious with her for just snapping out bullshit before she even knew what was going on, but she had dealt with a lot over the years since he became famous and had saved his ass from women coming at him more times than he could count. After the Paris incident she had been so furious she had almost quit working for him.

Admittedly, that had been his own stupid fault but he had gotten lucky with that incident and the girl had decided to lie and say they had fucked all night and he was amazing, giving herself quite the reputation, when she could have just as easily told the world that he had thrown up all over the place like a loser and had passed out without even getting it up. Jellybean hadn’t been impressed when he had hooked up with the model for a couple of months but she told him it was better than him making an ass of himself by fucking every woman that threw herself at him. But she knew that that wasn’t his style and it never had been. 

Before Sabrina he had only dated three girls and had slept with two of them, so coupled with Sabrina and the model, and now Betty, his total was five and he knew that nobody would ever believe him if he admitted that to anyone. He was Jughead Jones, playboy extraordinaire. Well, that’s what the press liked to call him anyway just because he was photographed with a lot of women. He never bothered to defend himself because there was no point, so he just let them think what they wanted and lived his life as quietly as he could.

His mind went back to Betty. She made him feel things he hadn’t felt in so long, he was beginning to wonder if he’d ever felt them at all. He had never been attracted to a woman so fast, wanting to spend time with her the second he met her. Her smile, her demeanor, the way she hadn’t appeared to be phased by who he was in the least. In fact, it was the thing about him that she liked the least he guessed and that made him like her even more because his celebrity was what he liked the least about himself as well.

The fact that he’d had to seduce her a little before she jumped into this with him had been a bit of a thrill. He wasn’t oblivious to the fact that his fame got him pretty much whatever he wanted and it made life easy for him, but when he actually had to work for something he wanted, it made him feel normal again. And he had definitely wanted her, with a ferocity that scared him a little. 

He really didn’t know what it was about her that he was so drawn to. Maybe everything? Her eyes he had seen first. Brilliant green that seemed to stare right into his soul when she fixed her gaze on him. When she was beneath him and they were glazed with desire and need, it made something twist inside him. Her legs; God, her legs. If he died with those legs wrapped around him, he’d go a happy man. He thought her entire body was amazing. He had no idea what she was talking about when she told him she was insecure about it after having kids. She was stunning. Her smile, so pure and fresh and beautiful. He would remember it for the rest of his life. She was incredibly easy to talk to as he found himself telling her things he didn’t tell anyone and she was open about her life and didn’t hide anything. She was honest and real and he hadn’t met anyone like that in a really long time. And he only had 5 more days with her.

Jughead sat up and ran a hand through his hair. He got up and found his clothes and slowly got dressed. He smiled when he remembered how fast she had pulled them off of him. He guessed having not had sex in so long made her extra eager but he hoped it was all because of him. He decided it was probably a bit of both. As he pulled his shirt on, Jughead decided he would spend the next five days giving her the best and most mind blowing sex of her life, enough to keep her satisfied for another 4 years if she so desired to again refrain from dating. He’d make sure it happened exactly how she thought it might; that she’d compare every guy she ever slept with after this to him. He didn’t want her to ever forget him because he was certain he would never forget her.

 

Later that evening, Jughead made sure the door to his chalet was unlocked as he got ready to get in the shower. If Betty showed up while he was in there, he wanted to make sure she was able to get in. He was standing, his head hanging down, his hands flat against the tile in front of him and the water beating down on the back of his neck when he felt eyes on him. He lifted his head and slowly turned and there she was, leaning against the door frame of the bathroom. 

She was stunning. 

Her hair piled on top of her head and the dress floating down her body and pooling at her feet. Her eyes travelled down the length of him and he could feel his body responding and a small smirk appeared on her face as her eyes fixed on his growing arousal. She pulled away from the door and walked toward him and he was quite shocked when she opened the glass door and got in, gown and all. 

“What are you doing?” he asked in confusion. “You’ll ruin your dress.” She just smiled and ran her hands over his chest and got under the water with him, the light chiffon immediately soaked through and clinging to her every curve.

“You said you wanted to peel it off me,” she said as she brushed her lips over his, her voice low and seductive. He groaned and pulled her against him, his hands moving down her sides and sliding around to cup her backside. 

“You know, somewhere in the last couple of days shy Betty got lost somewhere,” he said against her ear, his tongue flicking the lobe before he sucked on it.

“It’s hard to be shy when you look at me the way you do,” she gasped, wiggling closer as he pressed her against his length. His mouth worked its way down her neck, pressing soft kisses and licks on her skin until he came to the neckline of her dress. He teased the swell of her breasts that showed and she threaded her fingers through his hair.

“How do I look at you?” he asked huskily, moving back up to her mouth.

“Like you want to devour me,” she breathed, her entire body already tingling with anticipation. 

“Hasn’t anyone ever wanted to devour you?” Jughead asked, his eyes dark with need as his hands found the zipper on the back of her dress, pulling it down slowly. 

“No,” she whispered, shivering as his hands smoothed over the bare skin he unveiled. He hooked his fingers into the straps of the dress and slowly and quite literally peeled it down and off her body until it fell in a wet pile at her feet. His breath left in a rush as he stared down at the soaked lace of the light blue bra and panties she wore. He lifted his eyes and she shivered at the look in them.

“Well, I’ve wanted to devour you since I first saw you,” he said heatedly, his hands reaching behind her and unhooking her bra. She closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath when it fell between them and he cupped her breasts, his thumbs brushing over the nipples. He backed her up until her back hit the cold tile and she hissed in a breath at the icy feel on her back. It was quickly forgotten as he kissed his way down her body, stopping at her breasts to swirl his tongue around her nipples and suck them into his mouth and then moving lower until he was kneeling in front of her. 

Betty looked down at him, biting her lip as he held her gaze and slowly pulled her panties down and off her feet. He lifted her leg and hooked it over his shoulder, his mouth kissing up the inside of her thigh. Betty held her breath and let it out with a ragged groan as he reached her core and licked his tongue over her. She ran her hand through his hair, holding on and moving against his mouth as her head fell back against the tile, her breath coming in gasps. His hand came up to squeeze and pinch her nipple and she whimpered, bucking against him, her head dropping down as she watched him between her legs. 

“Fuck,” she gasped when he slid two fingers inside her and closed his lips around her clit, sucking and licking while his fingers moved in and out. He pulled his mouth away and smiled up at her as he slowly twisted his fingers.

“Does that feel good, Betty?” he asked gruffly. She nodded and he shook his head.

“Tell me,” he ordered.

“Yes, Jug, it feels so good,” she moaned. He smiled and pressed kisses just above where she wanted him.

“So, how were you expecting your vacation to go when you go here,” he teased, curling his fingers and causing her to buck her hips and twist her fingers in his hair.

“Well,” she gasped. “I never for a second would have believed I’d be in a shower with Jughead Jones and his tongue between my legs.” He chuckled against her, his tongue flicking lightly against her clit and she moaned again.

“And now that it’s actually happening?” he murmured, licking into her more roughly.

“I still can’t believe it,” she gasped when he sucked harshly at her. He laughed again and then focused all his attention on the movement of his fingers and the licking of his tongue and it didn’t take long and she fell apart, clenching on his fingers, her release coating his tongue, her cry echoing around the marble bathroom. He groaned against her and soothed gently with his mouth and hand until she stopped shaking and then he kisses his way back up until he pressed his mouth to hers, his tongue sliding inside and letting her taste the arousal he had so easily brought out of her. She whimpered into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Betty felt him against her stomach and she ached to feel it inside her. 

“I need a condom,” he groaned as he lifted her slightly and he was probing at her entrance. 

“You’ll pull out,” she whimpered, arching her back and trying to get him to slide in. He didn’t keep her waiting and thrust inside her and she cried out at the sudden stretch and pleasure that raced through her. He felt amazingly good and she strained against him, needing him deeper. He hooked one arm under a leg to hold her up and pushed the other one wide as he moved heavily inside her, his mouth pressing to hers in a desperate hungry kiss. Betty gripped his hair, the kiss turning wet and dirty, tongues tangling and teeth biting. His hand moved between them and her head fell back against the tile, a sputtering of curse words falling from her lips. 

“Fuck, come baby, I can’t hold off much longer,” he gasped against her neck, his fingers circling quickly. Betty didn’t know if it was his desperation, the fact that he called her baby, or the rough movement of his fingers on clit, or maybe all of the above, but her orgasm slammed into her so suddenly, her teeth bit into his lip and her nails dug into his shoulders so deep, she knew she was going to leave marks. He growled at the pain and pleasure that accompanied it as she clenched so tight around him, it took every ounce of will he had to not spill inside her. She was still grabbing at him when he realized he was losing it and she was in no condition to help and he pulled out and wrapped his hand around himself as he came against her stomach. He quickly let go and pushed two fingers back inside her to give her the pressure she needed and she was still clenching and she moaned in ecstasy.

He was breathing harshly against her neck as they came down and he winced when she let go of his shoulder, her nails leaving his skin. She slid down and could barely stand on her shaking legs and he held her close, his hand brushing her back as she slowly regained control. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said softly. “I haven’t done this in so long….well okay, I’ve never really done it quite like this, but it’s been so long, I sort of can’t get enough now and I’m going to be shamelessly using you for the rest of the week because sex with you is the most amazing fucking thing I’ve ever experienced,” she finished with a shuddering breath.

“I don’t mind at all,” he grinned against her skin. 

“Good,” she whispered, licking his shoulder. “Because we need to wash off and then I need you to take me to bed and fuck me again.” 

“Bloody hell woman,” he groaned, feeling his body twitch again and he happily did as she suggested.

 

The following day found Jughead and Betty on the beach, with him laying in the sand, soaking up some sun and her sitting, arms resting on her knees and gazing out at the water. 

“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he tucked a hand behind his head. “And also, that bikini is going to kill me yet,” he added. Betty smiled and leaned back on her elbows, stretching her legs in front of her. He glanced sideways at her and let out a sigh. 

“Nothing much,” she replied. “Just wondering how I’m going to be able to return to normal life after this vacation,” Betty said with a laugh. Jughead smiled and looked at her.

“You like your life? Does it make you happy?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah, it does,” Betty answered truthfully. “I mean it’s hard sometimes and I’m always tired it seems, but I feel content and happy with it. I love my girls so much and it can be quite challenging raising them alone, but every moment that makes me laugh or smile makes it all worth the struggle.”

“What about work? Are you okay financially? Sorry if that’s an odd question to be asking,” he said sheepishly.

“I work now for The Register, a newspaper in my town. Journalist and editor. When my husband died he had a small life insurance policy which was extremely helpful. After I put money aside for the girls future of collage and such, I was able to stay home with them for 2 years so I could take care of them, but I love what I do, so I went back to work when they turned two.”

“A journalist, huh?” he asked with a wry grin. Betty chuckled and shrugged.

“Don’t worry Mr. Hollywood, I won’t write about our wild fling,” she said with a giggle.

“Well, not if you don’t want to get sued,” he said with a wink.

“I wouldn’t anyway,” she said softly. “I promise Jughead, I won’t tell anybody about this. It will be our secret.”

“Well, ours and Reggie’s,” he laughed.

“I guess we’ll have to send him some flowers as a thank you or something,” Betty said with a smile as she thought of her match making friend. “If it wasn’t for him…”

“It would have happened anyway,” Jughead insisted. “I couldn’t have stayed away from you if I tried.” 

“Oh yeah?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye. She moved and leaned over him, her hand moving to touch his face. He leaned up on his elbows and caught her mouth with his. 

“Definitely,” he breathed into her mouth. He leaned up further to deepen the kiss and she pulled away and grinned at him. “Come back,” he pouted and she laughed and stood up and backed away from him toward the water. 

“Well, you do know that I like to make you work for it,” she said with a sexy wink. Jughead grinned and got up and took off after her. She laughed and ran for the water and he caught her only moments later and she let out a shriek when they lost their balance and fell in the wet sand. He put out his hand to brace their fall so she wouldn’t hurt herself and ended up hovering over her. “Well, lucky you, gravity was working against me,” she said with a saucy grin. He shifted until he was laying between her legs and she felt him press against her and she raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry, it literally has a mind of its own around you,” he said with a sigh, even as he pressed harder on her. Betty choked back a groan and gripped his waist. He looked down between them and when his eyes came back to hers, they were so intense, she lost her breath. “Is this bikini smaller than the one you wore a few days ago?” he asked gruffly. “I want to rip the damn thing off.”

“It’s the same……I mean, I think…was I wearing this one?” she asked, suddenly feeling confused. The way he was looking at her made her entire body ache and she couldn’t help moving her hips and lifting against him. Her hand moved to touch his face and he lowered his head and kissed her. 

It wasn’t a deep kiss, but there was something sexy and erotic about it as he took small tastes of her lips, flicking his tongue over them and even when the water washed up to them and rolled right over them, she couldn’t stop from pulling him closer. He slid against her as the water beat against them, their kiss turning more thorough and deep. She strained against him, the feel of his arousal through her tiny thin bikini bottom making her shudder in response.

“Someone will see,” she whimpered, even as she wrapped her legs around him and his hand brushed over her breast. Jughead pulled away and pushed himself up, grabbing her hand and pulling her with him. He grabbed her under the back side and lifted and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he started walking toward the cabana, his mouth settling on her neck and licking over her skin, and then sucking it, one hand moving to squeeze her breast. His fingers hooked the flimsy material and he pulled it down and his mouth closed over her nipple. “Oh my god,” she moaned, not even beginning to care that they were completely out in the open as he sucked on her. They got to the cabana and Jughead lowered her to the soft outdoor mattress, her head settling on the cushions. 

“Jug, what if someone comes,” she said breathlessly when she saw the look in his eyes. He grinned at her and went and undid the ties that held the curtains back and they fell in soft waves and suddenly they were cocooned inside flowing white curtains, the sunlight filtering through them giving a soft glow to the suddenly private cabana.

“First of all, nobody comes down to this end and second, I don’t give a fuck right now, all I want to do is get my hands and mouth on you,” he said hoarsely. He came down over her and took her mouth in a kiss that set her blood on fire. The extra naughtiness of being on the beach, even if in a private cabana, where someone could stumble on them made it all the more sexy and she found herself gasping in excitement and running her hands eagerly over him. He rocked his body against her while his mouth devoured hers until she pulled away gasping for breath. 

Jughead shifted to the side and let his mouth trail down to her chest and his fingers found the tie between her breasts and he slowly pulled it until it opened, her top falling to the side and his tongue raking over her nipple. She arched up into his mouth, her hand fisting in his hair as his hand ran down her leg and then came slowly up the inside of it. She moaned when he brushed over her core and her hips lifted like they had a mind of their own. His fingers danced along the edge of the material until it came to the tie sitting on her hip and he lifted his head and held her gaze as he slowly loosened it until it opened, the strings falling apart. He did the same to the other side and pulled away the material and held it up.

“You see this? It barely covers my hand. Do you have any idea how this looked on you?” he asked heatedly. She let out a giggle and bit her lip sheepishly.

“I’ve never worn anything like that before and I wanted you to see me in it,” she said shyly.

“Why?”

“I wanted you to want me,” she admitted softly. 

“Oh, you definitely accomplished that,” he growled, his hand slowly moving up the inside of her thigh. “Spread your legs,” he said, his voice low and gruff. The sudden order made her stomach clench and the lust in his eyes made her groan as she slowly parted her legs. He didn’t spend any time teasing as his fingers slid into her folds and he let out a low groan. “Fuck, you’re so wet for me,” he said, his voice sounding strangled and heavy. “Do you want me to make you come, Betty?” he asked, his mouth dropping down to her chest and spreading wet kisses all over the skin. 

“Ye…yes!” she managed to stutter as he flicked over her clit before starting to circle gently. She couldn’t control her moans as his mouth found her nipple again and he sucked her into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the tight peak and she hoped that nobody would be walking by any time soon. When his fingers moved down and slid inside her, she jerked and gasped, lifting to his touch. He pulled back out and her body chased him and he chuckled and thrust them back in, his thumb finding her clit and circling while his fingers began a steady rhythm. 

“Does that feel good?” he asked against her skin as he kissed his way up to her mouth. He dragged his tongue along her bottom lip and bit down gently, tugging while he curled his fingers and dragged them along her tight walls causing her eyes to roll back in her head.

“Fuck, do that again,” she gasped, her fingers digging into his bicep on the arm he was braced on. Jughead grinned against her mouth and did it again and the string of curse words that fell from her lips had him tighten to painful in his shorts. He felt her start to shake and knew she was close to falling apart and he lifted his head and watched the pleasure glaze over her face and he decided he had never seen anything as beautiful as watching her fall apart.

“Come for me, baby,” he urged, moving his fingers faster and he ran his gaze down her body, her heaving chest, her legs spread wide, his fingers buried inside her and he suddenly felt like the luckiest bastard on the planet, that Betty Cooper had ended her abstinence from men and sex with him and he wanted nothing more than to bring her mind numbing pleasure. Jughead moved suddenly and his head was between her legs, sucking on her clit and outside or not, the moan the fell from her lips as she clenched around his fingers in orgasm was bordering on obscene. It was the filthiest and sexiest sound he’d ever pulled from a woman.

Betty felt like her mind left her body as Jughead’s mouth fastened on her and she fell over the edge. The pleasure so intense, she couldn’t help the sound that came out of her and she arched violently, pressing herself against his mouth as he sucked and pressed his fingers deep, holding them still while he curled and pressed from the inside, finding a spot that splintered her to pieces. “Holy shit,” Betty sobbed as she quaked and clenched around him. “Fuck, fuck, fuck….” She gasped as her body seemed caught in a never ending spin. Jughead’s mouth didn’t stop and he licked over her eagerly, lapping up her release and her body melted into another orgasm almost as soon as the first one ended. She wrapped her hand around his head and held him to her as she pressed against him, unable to stop the movement of her hips as she rode out her orgasm. She melted into the cushions, her body feeling like jello as she tried desperately to catch her breath. He gave a few soothing licks and slowly brought her down before kissing his way up her body. 

“You taste so fucking good,” he whispered against her mouth, letting her taste the arousal that still lingered on his tongue. She whimpered, letting him kiss her slowly, lazily, until her breathing came back to normal. When she felt like she could move, she pushed against him and he rolled onto his back and she smiled down at him.

“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt in my life,” she said, her breath still hitched and uneven. “I think I need to return the favor,” she suggested, her hand traveling down his body to the hard bulge in his swim trunks. He groaned and moved against her. Betty grinned and slowly undid the button and reached inside to wrap her hand around him. Jughead let out a breath and bucked against her hand and she moved her hand slowly for a few moments before moving down and grabbing his shorts and tugging them down his legs. His arousal sprang free and she almost groaned at the sight of him.

She thought it was perfect, much like the rest of him. She guessed larger than average even though she only had one person to compare him too and she bit her lip as she wrapped her hand around him, brushing her thumb across the tip to swipe away the drop that formed at her touch. She lifted her hand and licked her thumb and he let out a strangled groan as he watched her. 

“You taste good too,” she teased, wrapping around him again.

“Shit,” he muttered and when she lowered her head he caught her with his hands and she paused to look at him. “You don’t have to,” he insisted gently and she just smiled and pulled away. 

“Are you clean?” she asked softly and he nodded. 

“I’ve never had sex without a condom, but I still get checked and I’m good,” he informed her. Betty sat up in surprise and looked at him curiously.

“You’ve never had sex without a condom? Even with your ex? You were with her for years,” she said in surprise.

“She wouldn’t let me,” he said with a shrug. Betty frowned, looking almost disappointed for him.

“Why?” 

“Do we really want to talk about that when you’re about to get me off?” he asked with a laugh.

“Sorry, it just seems odd,” Betty said softly. “So the last couple of times, when we were…and you had to pull out….you’ve never….”

“That was my first time and it was the best thing ive ever felt in my life,” Jughead said gruffly, his eyes dark and needy. She smiled at him and held his gaze while she slowly lowered down and pressed a soft kiss to the top. She ran her tongue from base to tip and swirled it around the ridge before slowly taking him in her mouth. “Fuck,” he breathed, his fingers immediately sliding into her hair and his hips lifting to her. She wasn’t what she considered an expert but the way he gasped and moaned as she bobbed her head up and down let her know that she was doing it right and he was more than enjoying it. 

She wrapped her hand around the part she couldn’t fit and took him as deep as she could, sucking eagerly as she pulled off. He moved gently with her mouth and she could feel the tension in his body as he restrained himself from thrusting harder into her mouth. Betty let her hands wander over him as she tasted him, the silky smooth feel of him in her mouth and on her tongue arousing her again. 

“Betts, I’m not going to last,” he moaned, his body trembling, covered in a sheen of sweat. She moaned around him and picked up the pace, taking him deep as she twisted her hand around him. She knew he was going to come and she decided to give him everything and not hold back or pull away. It felt like she was giving a gift of sorts and she set about her task eagerly. 

“Baby, I’m….Betty, hold on, you need to…..fuck, wait, stop, I can’t hold…” he tried to lift her off him but she tightened her grip and pushed his hand away and she felt him stiffen. “Betty,” he groaned, trying one last time to pull out and she sucked him deep and then he let out a long groan and she felt him spill warm and wet on her tongue. She didn’t stop until he was finished, his body shuddering under her and his breath harsh and heavy. When he relaxed she slowly released him and pressed a kiss to the tip before moving to lay next to him, cuddled into his side and hiding her smile in his neck. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, his body giving another shudder, his arm coming around her.

“You taste good too,” she whispered. Jughead let out a breath and gave her a squeeze.

“You didn’t have to do that Betty,” he said softly.

“I wanted to. I mean, I feel like you needed some kind of reward for dating someone who wouldn’t let you make love to her without condoms. That’s just mean.” Jughead laughed and wiped a hand down his face.

“Well, thank you,” he said gruffly. They lay quietly for a while, his hand stroking up and down her back. “Sabrina told me she had a deathly fear of STDs,” Jughead suddenly said. “Her friend had gotten a bad case of something or other when they were 16 and she vowed to never have condomless sex, even though we were both clean. She made me get tested every 3 months,” he said with a laugh. “She knew I had been with a couple of other girls and she decided that even though I always wore a condom, something may have slipped through and when I told her, well if that happened, it could happen with me and her as well and that actually got me a 4 month dry spell because I freaked her out.”

“What the fuck?” Betty exclaimed, looking at him in shock. “She sounds nuts.”

“Well, you know how people have all these crazy fantasies when it comes to sex? Mine was simply to have sex without a condom, just once,” Jughead said with a sigh. “She was on the pill, we were both clean, no matter what crazy shit she thought might be lurking around the STD corner and I thought we were in love but I only brought it up a couple of times. I asked her what she planned on doing if we ever decided to have children and she refused to talk about it. She didn’t say it but I realized then that she didn’t want children and our relationship started to fall apart at that point. Not necessarily because of that, I mean, I would have been fine with adoption or whatever, but she just seemed to pull away from me and I realized, it wasn’t that she didn’t want all those things, it was that she didn’t want them with me.”

“Oh Jug, I’m so sorry,” Betty said softly, seeing how painful that must have been, knowing the person you loved didn’t want a life with you.

“When I found out she was sleeping with my best friend, I was furious. Not entirely because I was heartbroken, because honestly, our relationship had been hitting the skids, but that she had been doing it for 2 years and when I found out we had a huge fight, and we were so angry at each other and that’s when she told me she loved fucking him without a condom and would happily have his kids. I realized then that she had never loved me. She never wanted to be with me, she just went along for the ride until she got her career established, using my fucking celebrity I might add and I honestly wanted to kill them both.” Betty sat up and stared down at him.

“Are you telling me that your ex never loved you and never wanted to be with you and was using you and your fame to get ahead?”

“Yup.”

“But I thought you dated before you got famous.”

“We did. She told me she knew I would hit it big and she wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip away.”

“Holy hell,” Betty breathed. “I’m so sorry and what the fuck? Is she insane? How could she not want to be with you? Even if she didn’t love you, she didn’t want to sleep with you?” Betty asked in shock. “Okay, I know that sounds kind of horrible, but we’ve had some fucking mind blowing sex,” she insisted. 

“It was never like that,” Jughead said softly. “With her."

“But you’re so good at it,” Betty insisted.

“Only because the way your respond to me is very encouraging,” he said with a soft laugh.

“Well she was nuts,” Betty insisted. She lay back down and touched his face. He smiled softly at her and kissed her finger tips when they grazed across his lips. “You’re so handsome,” she whispered, feeling butterflies just looking at him.

“She’s not really into looks, I guess,” he chuckled. 

“Was your best friend hideous?” she asked seriously.

“No, but he had flaming red hair. Maybe that did it for her,” Jughead shrugged.

“I much prefer dark hair,” Betty said with a smile. Jughead grinned and pulled her close, giving her a soft kiss. "She was insane Jughead. You are so kind and wonderful and sweet, I don't know how she couldn't want to be with you." He didn't say anything and she realized she was implying that she would love to be with him and she stopped herself from saying anything more before she backed herself in a corner.

“Do you want to take a boat out tomorrow?” he asked after a while. “We could maybe take some food along and picnic on one of the islands?”

“That sounds wonderful,” she said softly, trailing a hand down his stomach. “And food sounds amazing. Want to go grab a bite?”

“Sure, I’m thinking we worked up an appetite,” he said with a wink. Betty didn’t bother putting the bikini back on, just pulled the beach cover on and they headed up the walk to the chalet to get dressed and go find some food. They walked to the lounge along the water’s edge and she laughed when he picked her up and walked with her. She wrapped her arms around his neck grinned at him as he steadied her with his hands on her backside. She pressed kisses to his mouth and he stumbled and she giggled as he quickly righted himself. 

“Stop it or I’ll walk into the water and we’ll drown,” he laughed. She bit her lip and smiled at him and he shook his head and gave her a squeeze. “Food, then get you ready for your show and maybe after we can go skinny dipping,” he suggested with an eyebrow wiggled. She laughed and wrapped her legs around him. 

“It’s a date,” she said with a wink. 

Jughead grinned and gave her a kiss and as they walked along the sand he wondered how he was going to go back home without her.


	7. If You Ever Need Anything....

It was early morning and Betty stood on the balcony leading off the bedroom at Jughead’s chalet and looked out over the water, her hands resting on the railing. It was peaceful and calm and her favorite time of the day. Today she was up earlier than usual because sleep eluded her. She was going home in three days and as much as she wanted to say that it was just a fling with Jughead, she really liked him and it was going to be hard to just leave and forget about him. Anything past a fling with Jughead Jones was something she wouldn’t even allow herself to think about because it was simply an impossibility but she didn’t know how she was going to ever be in another relationship without thinking about him. Especially the sex. It was mind blowing. It seemed that they had both been missing out on something meaningful and fulfilling over the years and they just connected on a level that made it phenomenal.

“What are you doing out here?” Jughead’s husky voice in her ear made her shiver and she leaned back against him as his arms rested on the railing beside hers and he pressed his body against hers.

“Just thinking,” Betty said with a smile.

“About what?” he asked, kissing just behind her ear. 

“You.” Jughead turned her slowly and wrapped his arms lightly around her waist. He studied her face, his eyes wandering over it as if memorizing it.

“What about me?” he questioned with a small smile.

“You want the truth?

“Please.”

“I was wondering how I’m ever going to have a relationship again without comparing them to you, especially in bed,” she sighed. 

“I’m sorry?” he offered, although his smug smile made it clear that he wasn’t sorry at all.

“You’re very arrogant, you know that?” she said with an eye roll.

“Well, it’s hard not to be when you’re standing here wearing only panties and my shirt and basically telling me that I’m the best you’ve ever had or ever will have,” he teased. Betty figured two could play at this gave. She ran her hand down his hard torso and ran her palm over the front of his pajama pants. He stirred immediately and groaned.

“I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say I’m the best you’ve ever had too,” she said softly, moving her hand lower and cupping him, squeezing gently.

“Fuck,” he muttered, bucking into her hand. “You would definitely be right.” Betty felt a surge of pride go through her and felt oddly satisfied that she pleased him more than the crazy woman he had been in a relationship with for years. She still couldn’t understand how Sabrina hadn’t enjoyed sleeping with Jughead. It seemed completely bizarre to her. He had talked a little more about her the previous night when she had asked how their sex life had been when it wasn’t on hiatus. Boring, he had said. Sabrina hadn’t liked being seduced and hadn’t liked foreplay beyond just getting her ready and then wanted it over quickly. Betty was flabbergasted by that information. He was so damn good at the foreplay and could tell he enjoyed it, making her fall apart over and over before thinking about himself.

“How about you take me back to bed and let me show you?” she breathed as he nipped at her ear. He didn’t need to be told twice as he picked her up in his arms and carried her, giggling at his antics, back to the bed.

 

“So, do you know where you’re going?” Betty asked with a grin as Jughead turned the boat and headed away from the dock. He had opted to rent one to take out himself so they would be away from prying eyes. “And how do you know how to operate a boat?”

“I live on the beach, I have one,” he said simply.

“Like this one?”

“Similar.”

“That’s cool. I drive a used Ford Explorer,” Betty said proudly. Jughead looked at her and burst out laughing. 

“I don’t think you can get any cuter,” he said with a grin.

“Yes, us lowly non Hollywood types have to settle for someone else’s seconds,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.

“Like you’re doing with me?” he asked with a sheepish smirk. She smiled and walked over to stand by him at the boat's wheel.

“You’re like a Maserati, used or not, I still can’t afford you,” she teased, running her hand down his back. 

“Smooth ride, huh?” he asked, his lips twitching with an amused smirk.

“Absolutely,” she giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “And you’re nobody’s seconds,” Betty said softly. “You’re the delicious dessert that idiots pass on because they’re too full from the crap they over ate on.” Jughead smiled down at her and lowered his head to give her a heady kiss. “Mmmmm, and you taste wonderful,” she sighed when he pulled away. Jughead guided the boat into a small cluster of islands and turned off the engines and anchored in the small lagoon. The water was so clear, Betty could see the fish swimming.

“How did you know about this place?” she asked as she pulled her tshirt off to reveal her bikini. Black and not quite as tiny as the previous one but he stared with a hungry gaze anyway. 

“Reggie told me about it,” he said with a laugh. 

“Of course he did,” Betty said as she climbed to the front of the boat and sat down on the edge of the bow, her legs dangling over the edge. She leaned on the railing and took a deep breath, breathing in the refreshing air. Jughead pulled off his shirt and came to sit beside her and she leaned against him. “You know, I’ve been coming here for 4 years and I’ve never been here. Usually when I got out on a boat it’s to fish or go snorkeling. They’ve never taken me here.”

“I guess our bartender friend knows all the secrets," Jughead said laughing. They sat and watched the fish a while, pointing out the pretty ones to each other.

“So have you thought anymore about what you want to do when you get back home and face your career?” Betty asked, leaning back and resting on her hands.

“I don’t know,” Jughead sighed. “I’m weighing all the options and every time I think I want to leave one career, part of me wonders if I’m making a mistake. Apparently it’s not as easy as just doing what I love.”

“Why not?” she asked softly.

“Because on some level, I love it all.” Jughead lay back on the bow and tucked his hands under his head and stared at the sky. “I mean, modeling isn’t exactly anything spectacular and definitely something I could do without, but it opens a world for me in regards to my photography, such as contacts and jobs. I love photography; it relaxes me and allows me to frame things the way I want to see them. Lets me see the world in a new way and I love sharing what I find. Acting, well, honestly I hate the invasion of privacy it brings in my life. I can’t go anywhere anymore without someone knowing who I am and it can be so incredibly frustrating, but I love bringing a story to life. I love bringing my interpretation of a character and having the chance to become so many different people in everything I act in,” he spoke quietly. When he didn’t continue, Betty turned her head and looked down at him.

“And writing?” she asked softly.

“Well, now that’s my first love and not something I would ever give up. I don’t need to give it up because whether it makes me money or not, it’s something I can and will always do,” he replied. Betty lay back next to him and let out a long sigh.

“Sometimes I wonder if I should move out of Riverdale,” she admitted in a hushed voice. “I mean, I love my job but hardly anyone reads the paper anymore as everything has gone mobile and I wonder if I should pack up the girls and head for the city and look for something different and exciting, or if I should just stay in a quiet peaceful town and have a relaxed and basic life.”

“Relaxed and basic sounds pretty good to me,” Jughead said with a laugh. She turned her head and studied his profile and he smiled slightly, feeling her watching him.

“Are you happy, Jughead?” she asked softly. He didn’t say anything for long moments, just simply staring at the clouds, as if contemplating his answer. Betty decided that it wouldn’t take so long to answer if it had been _yes_.

“I should be, shouldn’t I?” he pondered softly when he finally spoke. “I mean, I have everything anyone could wish for, I’m doing things I love to do and yet….i don’t know. I feel happy a lot of the time but deep down inside, I really don’t know if I’m happy.”

“Why do you think you aren’t happy?” she wondered. He turned and smiled at her.

“I’m not sure, I haven’t been truly happy for a really long time and it’s only been dawning on me lately,” he sighed. “What about you? I asked the other day if your life made you happy, but is that the same thing as being happy?”

“I’ve always thought I was happy, but if I was to sit and think about it, I’m not sure if I could say that I’m completely happy but I really can’t complain. I guess maybe I could say that it gets lonely sometimes? Which of course is my own fault as I used some rings to repel guys for 4 years,” she said with a laugh. Jughead shifted and leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her.

“Explain how that worked in a small town. Didn’t everyone know about your husband?” he asked.

“Yeah, but they knew why I was wearing the rings and they left me alone.”

“So, how come you took them off?”

“It was time to stop hiding and it didn’t feel right starting up a thing with you while wearing them.”

“So, what about when you go home? Will you keep them off?” Jughead asked.

“Yes,” she replied honestly. She saw something flicker across his face but couldn’t interpret it. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her mouth and when he pulled back she wove a hand through his hair and tugged him back. The kiss was slow and lazy, his tongue sliding along hers and as thorough as it was, it didn’t overheat and have them craving for more. There was surprising ease and comfort in the kiss, almost like a concrete togetherness that didn’t have to lead to anything more for them to be content and it scared her. This wasn’t supposed to get familiar. It was a hot fling that was supposed to have them all over each other, but when he pulled back and his thumb brushed across her cheek and she saw the tender look in his eyes, she knew it had somehow slipped into something else.

“Are you hungry?” he asked with a smile, brushing his nose against hers.

“Yes,” she replied, trying to get her racing heart to calm down. Jughead pushed himself up and pulled her into a sitting position and gave her another quick kiss before helping her stand and they climbed off the bow and back to the seats where he pulled out some lunch from the bag he had. She grinned when he pulled out sandwiches and a bottle of wine. “I don’t think we should be drinking while we’re boating,” she said with a laugh.

“I agree, which is why this is simply sparkling fruit juice,” he explained. He opened the bottle and took a sip and she raised an eyebrow. “I forgot cups,” he said with a shrug as he held it to her. She laughed and took it, tipping it back and having a drink. She took a sandwich and unwrapped it as she leaned back on her seat.

“So what are you plans after you get home?” she asked between bites.

“I have a couple of photoshoots and some voice over for my film coming out in a few months and I’m going to work on some writing. Not too much, to be honest. Just a bunch of little jobs that have me flying all over the place. The premiere for my next movie isn’t for another 4 months I think, so this is technically my down time after a movie.”

“You have any new movies coming up that you’re in? Like something that you haven’t shot yet?”

“Not at the moment, but I’m sure my sister will have a pile of scripts for me to go through when I get home,” he told her with a roll of his eyes.

“You don’t want to go through scripts?”

“I don’t know what the fuck I want anymore,” he said with an irritated sigh. Betty studied him for a moment and then smiled. He looked way too stressed for someone on vacation. She smiled and got up and went over to him, taking the sandwich from his hand and putting it aside and straddled his lap with a grin. “Well, I can tell you that I definitely want this,” he breathed, his hands coming to rest on her waist.

“I thought you might,” she said with a smile as she wiggled against him. His grip tightened and his thumb brushed against the bottom of her breast. “Now, how about I make you forget all about your problems,” she said softly as she leaned in and brushed her lips along his jawline. 

“What did you have in mind?” he asked hoarsely. She smiled against his skin and moved her mouth down his neck to his shoulder, biting gently and feeling him shudder in response. She trailed her mouth down to his chest and slowly slid down until she was kneeling between his legs. She smiled up at him as she trailed her tongue along the grooves on his abdomen, watching the muscle clench under her touch. 

“God, you’re ridiculously hot,” she muttered appreciatively as she leaned back and ran her eyes over him. “I hope you don’t mind if I once again tell you that your ex was a fucking idiot.” Jughead only smirked and then let out a breath when she ran her hands up his thighs, her hands teasing under his shorts. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the skin just above the button and moved her hand to undo it. 

“Betty,” he breathed as she slowly pulled down the zipper and reached inside.

“Shhhhh,” she whispered, her hand wrapping around his already hard erection. She pulled him free and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the tip and he took a deep breath and seemed to hold it before letting it out in a low groan as Betty ran her tongue up the length and took him in her mouth. His hand moved to caress her hair, before tangling in it and pulling slightly as his hips moved automatically against her mouth. She worked him, teasing, dragging her tongue, tugging on him as she ran her hands up his thighs, along his side and down his front, feeling the hard steely muscle and smooth skin. She raked her nails along his torso and he growled at the pleasure/pain he felt. 

He felt like his body was pumping lava through his veins as Betty moved her mouth over him. He looked down and had to work hard to not spill immediately when he saw her wet tongue lick over him. He wasn’t going to last long if she kept this up and it seemed like she sensed his thoughts and started to move her mouth faster, pulling him deeper and his head fell back on the seat as his body started to tighten.

“Betty, I’m gonna come,” he groaned, his hands fisting tightly in her hair.

“Give it to me,” she gasped as she pulled her mouth off before taking him deep again. Feeling her tongue wrap around him as she tugged him deep was his undoing and he let out a growl as he released in a rush, emptying himself inside her mouth and she moaned at the taste of him and she continued working him until he relaxed and his body stopped shuddering. Betty slowly pulled away and smiled up at him, her hand still wrapped around him, the other wiping her mouth.

“Holy shit,” he breathed. He lifted his head and looked at her and she smiled and stood and he pulled her down on his lap and gave her a hard kiss. “You’re a naughty little shit, you know that?” he muttered when he was finished. She giggled and kissed him again. “How about I return the favor,” he suggested, nuzzling her neck and licking her earlobe.

“Well, you said I was a naughty shit, so I wouldn’t be opposed if you wanted to give me a good tongue lashing,” she said, her face dead panned. Jughead raised an eyebrow and then threw his head back and laughed. She laughed with him and only minutes later was moaning his name as he did exactly that.

 

They got back to the island later that afternoon and spent some time walking along the beach, which somehow ended up with them once again laying in the surf, her on top of him, kissing the breath right out of each other.

“I’m in shorts and a shirt and somehow, we’re once again laying in the wet sand with water all around us,” she said with a shake of her head when she lifted head to take a breath.

“Well, you can always take your shirt off like me and then it won’t be an issue,” he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. 

“You wish,” she laughed, sliding her hands into his hair

“Mmmm, yes,” Jughead muttered as he kissed her again. She relaxed against him and just let him kiss her, enjoying the feel of his mouth on hers. When he pulled back, she pushed off him and stood up, pulling him with her.

“I need to shower and get ready for my show,” she informed him, dragging him toward the chalet. He picked up the bag he had dropped in the sand before they’d gotten wet and followed her up the hill.

 

The next day found them sitting in the sand and watching the sunset. Betty leaned back on her elbows and watched as it slowly sank into the horizon. Jughead leaned on his hand and rested the other on her lower abdomen, more content to watch her. 

“What are you thinking about?” he asked quietly.

“How tomorrow is my last day here,” she said softly, her eyes glued to the horizon.

“How do you want to spend it?” 

“With you,” Betty said, turning to look at him.

“I won’t leave you alone for a second,” he promised, kissing her softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him lay her down in the sand, his mouth moving slowly and gently over hers. Like the previous day, it was a kiss different from the ones that led to sex, like he was trying to speak through his kiss and it made her heart hammer in her chest. They just lay as the sun set, lost in a kiss that seemed to go on forever and Betty began to wish they had met in a different place and a different time and she didn’t know how she would ever go home without him.

 

They spent the following day relaxing on the beach, laughing and trying to pretend their time together was coming to an end. For her final show she wore a long black gown that seemed to be drapes and drapes of see through silk that gathered in all the right places and strategically placed layers of lace lingerie type things kept the dress from showing everything. It was stunning and she had no idea where she would ever wear it again. Betty figured she could sell it or something. To look at it, nobody would ever realize it was held together with a zipper in the back. She had tried figuring it out and had simply put it on and had looked in the mirror and thought _wow_. She had curled her hair and let it fall in waves around her, opting for that style versus putting it up because she knew Jughead liked it that way. She stood nervously by the bar and he sat beside her a stool and squeezed her hand, trying to calm her nerves. 

“Hey kids, how are things?” Reggie asked with a smile as he came up to them. He handed Betty the honey water she had asked for to soothe her throat and she smiled her thanks.

“We good,” Jughead answered while she sipped.

“You ready for the last show?” Reggie asked when she set her cup down. 

“Yeah, I’m really nervous though. It’s so full in here,” Betty said, her voice sounding a little shaky.

“It always is because you’re amazing,” he said softly. She smiled and looked at Jughead.

“Show time,” she said nervously. 

“Break a leg,” he winked and squeezed her hand again. She kissed his cheek and walked over to the stage. 

“So, you two had a good vacation?” Reggie asked with a smirk. “From the looks of your grins every day in here.”

“Yeah, it was great. She’s really great.”

“And you both are just going to go home?” he asked curiously. Jughead looked at him and shrugged.

“We decided it was a vacation thing and she seems okay with that. I mean, we live on opposite sides of the country, so….”

“So…..that’s it?” 

“Stop,” Jughead said with a sigh. “I’m already missing her and we haven’t even parted yet and I don’t need you putting impossible thoughts in my head!” 

“Sorry man, but you two are good together and for the record, nothing is impossible,” Reggie said with a wink as he went to help a customer. Jughead glared at his back. As if this shit wasn’t hard enough to begin with.

Betty started singing just then and Jughead turned and focused his attention on her and she was spectacular. He still didn’t know how she didn’t want to pursue a music career. The reason why was hard to swallow. She didn’t want the celebrity life and that meant, she would never fit into his world because she didn’t want it. The room was completely full and she had the crowd mesmerized and when she was on her last song, she took a moment to compose herself and he could tell she was having a hard time. As much as she didn’t like the spotlight, she loved to sing and it was always sad when the singing came to an end.

I'll sing it one last time for you  
Then we really have to go  
You've been the only thing that's right  
In all I've done  
And I can barely look at you  
But every single time I do  
I know we'd make it anywhere  
Away from here 

When her eyes caught his while she sang, his heart hammered in his chest and the words took on a whole new meaning. She was once again singing for him and only him.

Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you, dear  
Louder, louder  
And we'll run for our lives  
I can hardly speak, I understand  
Why you can't raise your voice to say

What they couldn’t say was how this fling had turned into more than just sex and they both knew it, they just refused to acknowledge it.

To think I might not see those eyes  
Makes it so hard not to cry  
And as we say our long goodbyes  
I nearly do

Betty’s voice trembled and Jughead longed to go to her and he smiled at her and nodded encouragement, even though the look on his face probably told her how much he wanted and needed her.

Slower, slower  
We don't have time for that  
All I want is to find an easier way  
To get out of our little heads  
Have heart, my dear  
We're bound to be afraid  
Even if it's just for a few days  
Making up for all this mess

He realized she had picked a song that seemed to fit them exactly. There was a very good chance that their little fling may have turned into a mess that they couldn’t clean up and would both be left with aching hearts.

Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
Ill be right beside you dear  


She got a standing ovation and Jughead saw her wipe a tear as she smiled widely at the audience and then she spent a good half hour talking to people before she finally made her way over to him. He had her tea for her and she took a grateful sip and let out a sigh.  


“I’m always sad and relieved when it ends,” she said with a small laugh. Jughead pulled her closer and lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on it.  


“How about we go back to the chalet and we relax,” he said softly and she smiled at him, laying a hand on his chest.  


“Yes, I’m dying to get out of this dress,” she murmured, her eyes resting on his mouth. Jughead swallowed and threw his tip for Reggie on the bar and took her hand and led her from the lounge. It was their last night together and he planned to spend it making her fall apart over and over.  


They took a golf cart back to the chalet and as soon as they were inside, Jughead grabbed her and kissed her, swallowing her gasp and framing her face in his hands. His kiss was desperate and needy and Betty moaned and pressed against him. Her entire body came alive at the touch of his mouth and she had a feeling this would be a night she would never forget. She pulled away and smiled at his frown and slowly turned around, lifting her hair.  


“Can you get the zipper please?” she asked in a breathless whisper. His fingers trembled when he moved to do as she asked, pulling it down slowly, his hand running along the smooth skin he uncovered. He placed a kiss on her shoulder and she slowly pulled away, walking toward the bedroom. He remained motionless, his body hardening as she slowly let the dress fall down her body. She paused and it floated down and landed in a shimmering pool at her feet, revealing sky high black heels and her body clad in black lingerie.  


“Christ,” he murmured when she threw him a glance over her shoulder and walked slowly to the bedroom door, the gentle sway of her hips driving him almost crazy.  


“You coming?” she asked, her voice soft and seductive. He may have stumbled, he wasn't really sure as he hurried after her, already moving to undo the buttons of his shirt. He found her sitting on the bench at the end of his bed, her body posed in a seated position that he could only describe as sensual. Leaning back on her hands, her chest arched, one leg folded over the other. Jughead had been to a lot of photoshoots and movie sets and seen a lot of beautiful women but he had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. He walked slowly over to her, pulling his shirt off as he went and her eyes took on a hungry look  


Betty found it hard to breathe as she watched Jughead approach. She had never sat herself down and made an attempt to be sexy and seductive in how she sat but by the look in his eyes, she would say that she succeeded. He stopped in front of her and leaned down, taking her mouth in a searing kiss. She almost lost her balance at the hunger she felt and she grasped his waist to keep from falling over. His hand grabbed the see through lace camisole she wore and pulled it over her head, leaving her in her sexy bralette that left little to the imagination. He looked like he wanted to just grab her and throw her on the bed and she smirked up at him when he pulled away.  


“Off with your pants,” she demanded. Jughead leaned back up reached for his belt and she quickly shoved his hands away and holding his gaze with a wicked grin, she undid his belt and pulled it from the loops, dropping it on the floor next to her camisole. She opened his pants and pushed them down his hips and they fell to the floor where he stepped out of them and kicked them away. Betty smiled up at him, biting her lip as she ran her hand over the obvious bulge in his boxer briefs and she felt him twitch under her hand and hooked her fingers in the band and slowly pulled them down until he sprang free. She let out a breath as she looked at him, hard and huge. He kicked the boxers away and she swallowed when he wrapped his hand around himself and moved it slowly, teasing her.  


Betty’s eyes flew to his and the hot lust she saw in them made her clench between the thighs. She wrapped her own hand around his and forced him to stop.  


“That’s my job,” she stated firmly, slowly peeling his hand away. She wrapped her hand around him and groaned at the hot smooth feel of him. “God, you’re amazing,” she said thickly, watching a drop form on the tip. She flicked her tongue out and lapped it up and he jerked and groaned as she dragged her tongue along the thick length.  


“Shit,” he gasped, his body trembling. She grinned up at him and then took him slowly into her mouth. Betty teased and kissed and licked until he thought he was going to go out of his mind. She wrapped her hand around him, moving it while her mouth tugged on him and he looked down and watched himself disappear repeatedly into her mouth and already felt his body tightening and he groaned, trying to stave it off so he could enjoy what she was doing but it was no use. She did something with her tongue and sucked him deep and he orgasmed without even warning her and she groaned at the taste of him flooding her mouth. Her nails dug into his hips as she worked him through it, stroking gently and when he was finished, placing soft kisses from base to tip. When he was calm and could finally breathe normal he pulled her away and stared down at her. She smiled up at him and leaned in to lick at it again. Jughead quickly pulled back and shook his head, his eyes taking on a determined glint.  


“It’s your turn,” he said gruffly and her stomach erupted in butterflies at the desperate lust in his eyes. He took her hands and pulled her up so she stood in front of him and he framed her face in his hands and just took a minute to look at her, making her heart ache and then she let out a needy whimper when he leaned forward and took her mouth with his. His kiss was deep, drugging and she found herself clinging to him, suddenly desperate to be completely naked and pressed against him. When he pulled back, the look in his eyes made her whole body tremble and she felt like she couldn’t breathe as he picked her up and walked to the bed, laying her down gently. He came down beside her and leaned on his elbow, noticing her panicked and heavy breathing.  


“Are you okay?” he asked softly, his hand brushing along her side. Betty suddenly felt so overwhelmed by him, by what they had been doing, by it being their last night and she began to tremble as she tried to get a hold of herself.  


“I’m scared,” she whispered, gripping his arm.  


“Of what?”  


“I…I’m scared that this isn’t just sex,” she choked out. “And I’m also scared that it is.” He took a shuddering breath and rested his forehead against hers.  


“Betty, we…”  


“No, don’t say anything,” she said quickly, placing her hand over his mouth. His eyes were a mixture of need, worry and sadness and she felt foolish for having said anything. She clasped his face and pulled him down for a kiss. “Make love to me,” she whispered against his mouth. He angled his mouth and kissed her deeper, thrusting his tongue inside, wrapping around hers, stroking, reaching to taste every inch of her mouth. When he finally moved down her neck she was gasping for breath and bucking against him. Jughead’s mouth moved down to her breasts and over the lace to the nipple that was already hard and aching for his touch and trying to escape the top of the bralette. He swirled his tongue around it, making the lace wet and pointless and he bit gently, tugging on it and then sucking it into his mouth.  


He moved and grabbed the edge of the lace with his teeth and pulled it down, peeling it slowly off the hardened peak and then he raked his tongue over the bare skin and she moaned and arched up into his mouth. He closed his lips around it, sucking her deep and she jerked with pleasure and she arched her back to give him access as his hands moved behind her back to unhook her bra and he flung it aside. He moved to the other breast and she took a deep shuddering breath. She felt overwhelmed and intoxicated by him. His mouth, his touch, his very scent was arousing her to depths she had never known and all she wanted was blissful release.  


Jughead released her nipple with an audible pop and she whimpered when his teeth nipped down to her stomach, his hands slowly stroked up her legs and he lifted up to his knees and hooked his fingers in her panties and slowly pulled them down while he smiled down at her. She bit her lip and smiled shakily, her body humming and trembling with need. He tossed the lace aside and his eyes travelled down her body to the glistening folds between her thighs. He parted her legs further, opening her up to his heated gaze and she flushed and trembled as he looked at her, his eyes greedy and hungry.  


“God, you’re beautiful,” he said gruffly, looking back to her face and dragging his fingers through the slick flesh. She jerked and gasped, his words and delicate touch making her burn. He circled her clit, spreading the wet silk he found and then he smiled, lifting his hand up and placing his finger to her lips. “Tell me,” he demanded softly. “Do you taste good?” Betty felt her entire body clench at this erotic and dirty shift, opening her mouth and her tongue licking over his fingers, tasting herself and feeling the heat pool even more.  


“Yes,” she whimpered, sucking his finger into her mouth. He grinned at her and lowered down slowly and she sucked in and held her breath, waiting for his mouth. She jumped when his teeth bit into her inner thigh and she squirmed in frustration, trying to guide him where she wanted him.  


“Easy baby,” he said against her skin when she tugged on his hair. He moved up and sucked the crease where her leg met her torso. She let out a frustrated sob, and bucked her hips. He bit in retaliation and she moaned at the delicious sting it caused.  


“Jug, please,” Betty whispered, feeling so wound up, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Jughead gave her what she wanted and raked his tongue over her, groaning at the taste of her.  


“You do taste good,” he said against her, his hands pushing her thighs apart, giving him full access. When his teeth tugged on the edge of the lip, Betty gasped and bucked against him and he pressed his hand to her stomach, holding her still. He slid a finger inside her as his tongue swirled around her swollen clit and then he added another, moving them slowly, teasingly, curling up and hitting spots that made her head spin. Betty felt her legs start to shake and the release slowly uncoil inside her. His tongue stroked repeatedly against her clit, and Betty moaned and writhed beneath his mouth. When he latched on and sucked she splintered apart, his name echoing around the room as waves of pleasure washed over her.  


Jughead groaned as her release covered his tongue and her body clenched on his fingers. Betty shook and gasped and he kept going, her taste and shudders driving him on.  


“Shit, Jughead,” she gasped as his mouth continued moving over her.  


“I’ll make sure you’re good for a while,” he promised against her flesh and she gasped for breath, lifting to him, opening herself and holding his head to her. He moved his tongue down and pushed it inside her and used his thumb to stroke her clit as he slowly, teasingly fucked her with his tongue.  


“Oh my god,” she gasped. She couldn’t seem to form any other words as he once again brought her to a shattering climax and she tightened on his tongue, pulling a low growl from him. He lapped up every drop until she once again lay gasping and still and then he began again. “Fuck Jug, I can’t,” she moaned on a sob, her body spent and shaking. He laughed against her and she shuddered at the sound, her eyes rolling back in her head as he sucked her into his mouth. His hands came up and he squeezed her breasts, his fingers rolling the nipples, pinching them and a few agonizing minutes later, his fingers curling, his mouth sucking, she came again, and all she could do was sob as her thighs clenched his head.  


When she managed to finally breathe, he gently ran his tongue through her folds and placed a soft kiss on her swollen, tender flesh and slowly moved up her body. His tongue lapped up the beads of sweat he found, wanting to taste every part of her. He looked into her eyes and saw the wild, ravished look and became desperate for her and he quickly reached for protection and soon he settled gently between her legs, bracing his weight on his elbows, brushing his lips over hers. He gave her a few moments to collect herself and moved gently against her, rubbing his arousal over her wet folds, slowly, back and forth.  


Betty couldn’t form a thought but her brain was very aware of his body over hers, his length rubbing against her, his mouth tasting hers, kissing slowly, deeply, overwhelming all her senses. He was warm and strong and her hands moved over him, feeling the tense coiled muscle beneath her fingers. Slowly her body regained strength and she started to move with him, her folds once again silky and wet.  


“Jug,” she moaned, arching against him  


“Tell me what you want,” he breathed against her mouth  


“I want you inside me,” she whimpered. “Please.” Jughead held her face and locked his eyes with hers and slowly slid inside, groaning as she wrapped around him. 

“Fuck, you’re so wet and tight,” he gasped, as he felt her pulse and he slid deeper. She arched wildly against him and he began to move, his mouth coming down on hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth, much like his body thrust into hers. He wanted her falling apart of him and he thrust hard into her, every stroke bringing a gasp from her lips. He wanted her coming again and he reached down and stroked her with his fingers and her eyes widened, her nails digging painfully into his back. “Come for me,” he growled against her mouth. “Now Betty.” His demand and forceful thrusts sent her crashing over the edge and she cried out, her release more intense and wild than the others. She pulled at him and he stilled and groaned, feeling her body pulse around him, making his gut clench and contract with his own need for release. He moved suddenly, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him, her legs straddling him and her center brushing against him.  


“Fuck me,” he said heatedly. Betty could barely breathe, much less focus on what he was saying, her sensitive flesh still quivering and she shuddered when his cock brushed against her clit. 

“I can’t,” she whimpered, her breath coming in gasps.  


“You can,” he groaned, slowly dragging her back and forth. “Please baby, I need you to fuck me.” She moaned, her body so sensitive and sated that she didn’t know if she could even move her hips, but when he brushed against her again, she instinctively moved and slid down on him. She rose and fell on him, holding his gaze as her body took him inside. She looked down and decided she would never forget the image of him disappearing into her as long as she lived. “I want…” Betty couldn’t continue as he touched his fingers to her and gently began to circle her clit. She felt her toes start to tingle and it moved up her body, building to almost scary intensity and she looked wildly at him, her body moving as if it had a mind of its own. Jughead held her hips still and started thrusting up into her and she fell forward, her breasts brushing across his mouth and he lifted and took a nipple in his mouth, sucking it eagerly and she cried out at the sensation.  


Betty felt like her body was coming apart and her hands fisted in the pillow, her body wringing one last intense orgasm from her. She shook in ecstasy and Jughead thrust up into her as she clenched so tight that it ripped his own orgasm from him and he groaned her name as he sank deep and she squeezed every last drop from him.  


“Fuck,” he gasped as they fell apart, both caught in release so intense, they lost all reason. Betty collapsed against him, unable to hold herself up. He recovered quicker and noticed her trying to gasp for breath. He rolled quickly and saw her face streaked with tears, her breath still coming in gasps. “Breathe hon,” he whispered against her mouth. Betty slowly calmed down, her breaths getting fuller and deeper and he placed gentle kisses all over her face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, kissing her tears. She went still at that and he lifted his head and looked at her. “It was too much,” he explained, his hand stroking her sweaty skin.  


“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “It was perfect.” He kissed her gently until her trembling eased and then he rolled to the side to quickly clean up with some tissues and then he rolled back and pulled her in his arms. “You really wanted to make sure I never forget you,” she whispered against his neck as she snuggled closer.  


“If it makes you feel any better, I won’t ever forget either,” he said softly, stroking her back.  


“I wish tomorrow was further away,” she whispered again, wrapping her arm around his waist and hugging him tight.  


“It will be okay,” he promised, dropping a kiss on her forehead. They lay in silence, the mood more somber than their previous nights because neither of them wanted to face the fact that their time together had come to an end.

 

Unfortunately, the morning came far too quickly. They had spent the entire night making love and each time had been more intense than the last and now after saying her goodbye’s to Reggie, she stood at the small airport, with the small private plane, waiting for her luggage to get loaded. Jughead had come with her and she stood with him, trying to not cry and mentally kicking herself for feeling upset. She should have prepared for this. He held her face in his hands and was placing soft kisses on her mouth and her hands were wrapped around his wrists, clinging to him.  


“Thank you,” he whispered against her mouth.  


“For what?” she asked, hating how shaky her voice was.  


“For spending your vacation with me,” he said softly, resting his forehead against hers.  


“Thank you for wanting me to,” she sighed.  


“You’re going to be okay?” he asked, pulling back and studying her face, his hands dropping to her waist.  


“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” Betty said with a smile. “I’ll never forget this and I promise I won’t tell anyone.”  


“I’m not worried,” he said with a smile. “If it ended up in the news I’d release a statement saying it was the best days of my life.” Betty let out a small laugh and her face heated in a blush. “Give me your phone,” he said quietly. Betty pulled it out and handed it to him and he made a contact with his number and handed it back to her. “If you ever need anything, anything at all, you let me know, okay?” Betty could only nod as she clutched it in her hand.  


“Miss, we’re ready for takeoff,” an airport worker informed her and she nodded again and quickly wrapped her arms around Jughead and hugged him close. His closed around her and she shuddered, thinking about how much she was going to miss being in his arms. She pulled back and grabbed his face and pulled him down for a deep and thorough kiss that both were reluctant to move away from and when she finally pulled back they were trying to catch their breath. She gave him one last kiss and turned and hurried toward the plane.  


“Betty,” he called out to her. She paused and turned to look at him.  


“Next year?” he asked, a teasing twinkle in his eyes. She laughed softly and nodded.  


“I can’t wait,” she replied and turned to climb into the plane. He turned and walked back through the terminal and sat down on the stone ledge in front of the building, waiting for her to take off.  


A few minutes later he heard the engines roar and soon it was lifting off the island and his eyes followed it into the horizon. He didn’t know how he was going to go back to life without her.

 

Betty sat and looked out the window of the plane and watched the island disappear, Jughead along with it. She looked down at his number on her phone and let out a sigh. It would be so easy to send a text or call, but what would be the point? They had different lives and neither of them fit in the other. She closed her phone and put it away. It was best this way. They had had an amazing time together and she would always remember it. But despite her thoughts trying to comfort her, she couldn’t stop the tear that rolled down her cheek as she left him behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Featured: Run by Snow Patrol


	8. Waiting

Jughead had been back in Malibu for three weeks and was finally getting a few days off. His time had been spent doing photo shoots and voice overs and if he was going to be honest, looking at his phone to see if he missed any calls of texts from Betty. He missed her. More than he thought he would and he was kicking himself for not getting her number but he had wanted to leave it in her hands because if this was going to go beyond a fling, it would be a bigger change for her than it would be for him and she had made it pretty clear that she wanted nothing to do with a celebrity lifestyle. Still, he had thought she would at least text, even if just to say hello.

Jughead didn’t blame her. His life was insane most of the time and even _he_ didn’t want to be a part of it, so why would he expect she would. She wasn’t like other women he had met. She didn’t want anything from him in that regard. Didn’t want what his lifestyle could bring her, she had just wanted to spend time with him. 

There wasn’t a single day since he’d been back that he hadn’t thought about her. He glanced at his phone and went into his photo app and looked at the few pictures he had taken of her when she hadn’t noticed. He felt a little bad, but she was so stunning, he just couldn’t let her leave without being able to look at her beautiful face. There was one of her sleeping, her hair half covering her face. Another of her stretched out on the beach in that damn bikini that was tormenting his dreams at night. Another of her grinning when she thought he was just scrolling his phone and he had silently taken a picture. His favorite was one in bed, his arm around her and her face resting against his neck, fast asleep and he had kissed her forehead and taken the picture. He felt a bit like a creep but he stared at those pictures every chance he got.

He let out a sigh and walked back into the house from the beach facing balcony he had been standing on and grabbed a beer from the fridge and opened it when he heard a car pull up out front. Glancing at the time he knew it would JB as she was due to bring him some more papers to sign. She let herself in and smiled when she saw him, putting a pile of mail down on the counter.

“What’s all that?” he asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Oh the usual; bills and shit,” she said with a laugh. Jughead leaned against the counter and with one last look at Betty’s face, he closed the phone and put it in his pocket. He could feel JB’s eyes on him and he looked at her with a challenging gaze. 

“Got something on your mind, sis?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh not much, just wondering why every time I see you, you’re staring at your phone like it’s suddenly become your source of life. You used to hate the bloody thing,” JB observed.

“No reason,” Jughead said with a shrug.

“You know,” she said, leaning against the island and crossing her arms over her chest. “You never did tell me what happened with that woman on the island. If you talked to her again, or is she talked to you again? What was her name? Betsy?” 

“Betty!” Jughead snapped and then rolled his eyes and sighed at her smirk.

“Okay, clearly my chasing her off didn’t put a stop to whatever happened with her.”

“No, it didn’t, although I had to grovel and apologize for your asinine behaviour,” Jughead glared.

“Wait, what? Since when does Jughead Jones have to grovel for a woman?” JB asked, clearly amused. “I’ve spent the last 6 years fending off women like a bat hitting a ball coming at you for countless innings.”

“Did you seriously just attempt a baseball analogy?” he asked with a laugh.

“Nevermind that, why did you have to grovel?”

“Because, she wasn’t like all the other women who were enthralled with a celebrity. She wanted nothing to do with it. We liked each other, we spent our vacation together and then we went back to our regular lives.”

“Just like that? A vacation fling and then back to the real world like it never happened?” JB asked, her voice filled with scepticism. 

“Yup, just like that,” Jughead said, moving away from the counter and picking up the stack of bills.

“Uh huh,” she muttered, clearly not convinced. “And you trust her to keep this secret?”

“Yes, I do,” Jughead answered, not looking up from the mail.

“So, if it was nothing but a fling, why have you been moping around and why do you keep looking at your phone like you want to cry.”

“Seriously?” he snapped, glaring at her.

“Well?” she insisted, not giving an inch.

“I miss her, okay? I fucking miss her and I gave…..nothing,” he finished with a sigh.

“Wait, you gave her your number?” his sister asked, looking astonished. Jughead walked over to the living room and flopped down on the couch. 

“Yeah, I did….”

“She hasn’t used it?”

“Nope.”

“Wow, that’s…..well that’s really interesting,” she said softly, coming to sit on the chair opposite him.

“Why is that interesting?”

“A woman that you liked, that you say liked you but wasn’t impressed by your celebrity, you gave her your phone number, she doesn’t go to the press and she hasn’t used it in three weeks? She must really like you.”

“That makes no sense,” Jughead sighed. “If she likes me, why isn’t she texting or calling?” Jellybean laughed and put her feet up on the coffee table.

“Well, if she wasn’t impressed with your celebrity and you needed to seduce her, she really cares nothing for this life and wants no part of it and is now wrestling with the fact that she has your number and should she or shouldn’t she. Other option is she really did just want sex for a week and that was it for her. Which do you suppose it is?” Jughead sat quietly and thought about their week together. _“I’m scared this isn’t just sex and I’m also scared that it is.”_ He knew which one it was.

“She likes me, I know that.”

“Well, Jughead, if that’s the case and she isn’t calling you, then I’m going to assume that she thinks any kind of thing with you would never work and if you want more, you’ll have to go for it yourself, which I’ll advice against because if she doesn’t want this lifestyle then you have no right to expect her to live it. Or give her some more time. Either way, you’re clearly smitten because I’ve never seen you act this way about anybody, not even Sabrina,” JB said pointedly. Jughead scowled at the name and she leaned forward, lowering her feet to the floor and leaning her elbows on her knees. “She’s still calling me, wants to talk to you.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” 

“It’s been two years Jughead, if you’re so over it, what’s the harm in seeing what she has to say? Maybe she wants to apologize or something. I mean, she did act pretty shitty.”

“Pretty shitty? Those are hardly the words I’d use,” he laughed.

“I never could understand why you two went at it so viciously and I’ve never asked you because you tell me things when you’re ready but seriously, why was the break up so bad? Yes, I get she cheated, but there was a level of anger that didn’t quite fit. What really happened?”

“How much time do you have?” Jughead asked with a laugh. Jellybean sat back in her chair and pulled her legs up and smiled at him.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

A long while later, Jughead got up to get another beer and Jellybean sat in shocked silence as she mulled over what had just been said. She looked furious and Jughead had to laugh.

“I don’t believe this shit,” she muttered, shaking her head as if trying to clear the information out. “She used you? All that time? What the fuck!? God, Jughead, why didn’t you tell me? You had no idea?”

“Not really. I mean, the relationship was basically dead but I just figured we grew apart or I worked too much or something, I didn’t realize there never was a relationship to begin with,” Jughead said with a sigh.

“You never were good with women, which is probably why you missed it.” JB sighed. “Always so nervous and reserved. I guess you trusted her because she was a friend and she was easy?”

“Imagine that,” he laughed. “Jughead Jones, bad with women.”

“Well, not all women, from the sounds of it,” she said with a smile. “You really like this Betty.”

“Yes, but my life sucks and she wants no part of it, so I lose again, basically.”

“You’re always such a buzz kill,” JB sighed. “Stop being so depressing. I swear to god you’re your own worst enemy.” She got up and went to pick up her bag. “Listen, I have to go and you need to go through those papers I brought you.” She slung the bag over her shoulder and looked at Jughead. “Jug, give it a month or so and if you still miss the hell out of this woman and can’t get her out of your head, then go find her.” He said nothing and just hugged her goodbye and she left the house. 

Jughead went through the papers and bills he had and then settled on the couch to watch some TV. He pulled out his phone and looked at it and got annoyed with himself. Of course there was no message. He went to the pictures and stared at her for what seemed like forever. He ran his thumb over the screen, remembering what her skin felt like. Remembering what her mouth felt like. Remembering how she tasted. He let out a groan and put the phone down. He was losing his mind. Why the hell couldn’t he get her out of his head? Probably because he stared at her pictures all the live long day. He turned his phone off and lay back and started to channel surf but all he could think about was wrapping his arms around her and then he decided that he absolutely hated his life.

 

 

It was two weeks later and Jughead had just gotten back from a trip to Dubai where he had spent a week doing a photoshoot spread for a clothing line that the designer had decided needed to be shown in the desert and apparently, no other desert would do. He was exhausted and the only thing he had liked about the trip was the time he got to spend with the photographer talking about cameras. 

His mind couldn’t help but go to Betty, once again. Five weeks now. Five weeks and still no calls or texts and he was losing his fucking mind. He kept going to her Instagram page, wanting to send her a message but he forced himself not to. He wanted her to make the choice to contact him. Well, if he was being honest, he was terrified she’d ignore him and he didn’t know how he’d handle that. He’d never been so fucked up about anybody before, much less a woman he barely knew. 

Although, spending every waking hour with someone and having sex countless times in a span of a little over a week a person tended to get to know someone pretty well. Jughead went out on the balcony and looked at the water. It was hard for him now seeing the beach every day because he just saw her and remembered everything. He let out a long breath and rubbed the back of his neck. He was lonely and he had been lonely for so long and she had been such a bright light for a short time and he missed it. He missed her. 

He went back inside and was just getting ready to settle into his papers when the doorbell rang. He knew it wasn’t JB because she never bothered to announce herself and just walked in. Jughead walked to the door and opened it and felt himself go a little cold.

“What do you want?” he asked, voice void of any emotion. Archie Andrews, his childhood friend and cheat stood at his front door.

“Can I come in?” the red head asked quietly. Jughead let out a sigh and stepped back. It was a fault of his really, always letting people say what they needed to say. What he should be doing was punching the man in the face, but he refrained. He had, after all, saved him from a life of misery with Sabrina

“So, what brings you around here?” Jughead asked, trying to at least be civil. Arche stood by the sliding doors and looked out over the ocean.

“I always loved this place. We had some good times here and I’m glad you didn’t sell it.”

“You’re here to talk about my house?” Jughead asked with a raised eyebrow. Archie turned around and shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked tired and worn out and Jughead went to the fridge to get a couple of beers. He handed him one and went to sit on the couch and Archie sat in the chair. They sat quietly for a while, the silence uncomfortable.

“I’m really sorry Jughead,” Archie suddenly spoke, leaning his elbows on his knees, staring at the beer bottle in his hands. “I never meant….”

“Spare me the ‘I never meant for it to happen’ bullshit. If that was the case, it wouldn’t have happened. Also, it was 2 years ago and I’m over it, so why exactly are you here and bringing this shit up?”

“Because you’ve never let me apologize,” Archie said with a sigh. “What I did was so fucked up and I betrayed you in the worst way and I lost my brother and my best friend because I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants and I’m so sorry Jug.” Jughead leaned back and took a drink of his beer and then let out a chuckle.

“I should maybe just thank you,” he said quietly. “I didn’t have a good relationship with Sabrina and when I found out about you, I found out what her real intentions were with me in our relationship and I realized I never actually had a relationship with her, so thank you for bringing that to light.”

“What do you mean?” Archie asked with a frown.

“Sabrina used me to build her PR firm. She started dating me cause she knew I’d hit it big and she wanted on the gravy train so to speak.”

“She told me that you guys were falling out of love and you were gone too much and it wasn’t meant to be,” Archie said, his brow furrowed in confusion. Jughead let out a laugh.

“Seems that she said a lot of shit that wasn’t true. Yeah, I was gone a lot but she obviously didn’t mind when that happened since she didn’t want to be with me anyway. You sure she loves you Archie?”

“No, she doesn’t,” Archie said quietly, running a hand over his face. Jughead leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, lacing his hands together. “She dumped me about 3 months ago.”

“I’d say I’m sorry but I’m really not,” Jughead said with a shrug.

“I don’t expect you to be,” Archie sighed. He sat back and swirled the beer in his bottle. “We had a pregnancy scare and when it turned out to be nothing she told me she didn’t have time for a baby or a relationship and that was it. Four years just done cause she was over it.”

“Maybe you should check to see who she’s sleeping with,” Jughead said with a smirk. Archie just leaned his head back on the chair and stared at the ceiling. 

“She never loved me, did she?” he asked.

“Probably not,” Jughead said, drinking some of his beer. 

“God, I royally fucked up, didn’t I?” Archie asked with a sigh.

“Join the club. She took us both for a ride.”

“I mean with you Jughead. Even though I foolishly loved someone who didn’t love me and believed her lies, I still betrayed you and I have no excuse and I’m sorry,” Archie said, standing up and putting his empty beer bottle on the counter. “I hope one day we can maybe be friends again,” he added quietly.

“Maybe,” Jughead said softly. As much as he was over it all and the love was long gone, his best friend had fucked around with a woman he was with and he didn’t know how he could just be okay with it. Not yet anyway. He followed Archie to the front door and leaned against the frame when he stepped outside. “I’ve forgiven you Archie and I’ve let it go and I honestly now feel you did me a favor, so no need to dwell on it.” Archie smiled at him and nodded.

“You’re a good man, Jughead and you didn’t deserve what happened,” he said regretfully.

“I appreciate that,” Jughead said. Archie offered him one more smile and headed to his car and Jughead went back inside and closed the door. He leaned against it and let his head fall back. If he went back over his life and thought about people he grew up with and people who he had considered his true friends, there was only his sister, Archie and Sabrina and his two best friends had betrayed him and it left him really with nobody. JB would always be there and she was family, but if he really thought about it and put aside regular acquaintances, he really didn’t have anybody and he was lonely. Lonely for companionship and relationship and love. He went to lay down on the couch and pulled out his phone. Once again he found himself staring at pictures of Betty. He wondered what she was doing right then. Probably taking care of her children, her life full of responsibility and family and friends and he was a sad pathetic jaded actor who had everything and nothing at the same time. Those days on the island had been the best days he ever remembered having and Betty was firmly and permanently stuck in his head and he didn’t think it would ever change. 

 

 

When Sabrina rang his doorbell a week later, he didn’t know if he was surprised or irritated when he opened the door. He hadn’t seen her in over a year and she hadn’t really changed, except her hair was darker. She had a pleasant enough smile on her face but his distrust was instant.

“Can I help you?” he asked, acting like she was a stranger.

“Cut the shit Jughead, I’m here to talk and I’m sure you know that,” she sighed.

“Now how would I know that?” Jughead asked, leaning his hand against the door, effectively keeping her from coming in.

“Oh, you know, the many emails and texts I’ve sent,” she said, getting irritated. 

“I didn’t get any texts, I changed my number and I don’t open the emails,” Jughead explained with a shrug.

“Clearly,” she snapped. She sighed and tried to muster a smile. “I’m here to apologize and put our shit to rest. Can I please come in?” she asked softly. Jughead stepped back and grudging let her in.

“Big month for apologies,” he muttered with a laugh. Sabrina walked in like she owned the place and dropped her bag on the kitchen island. 

“Why do you say that?” she asked.

“Your last throw out showed up to apologize last week,” Jughead snarked. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. 

“It wasn’t a good fit,” she explained with a shrug.

“Is anyone ever a good fit?” he asked with a laugh. Sabrina just stared blankly at him for a moment and then gifted him with a bright smile and he had to refrain from rolling his eyes.

“Can we sit on the balcony? It’s beautiful out and I’d like the fresh air,” she asked, waving her hand to the sliding doors. He shrugged with indifference and they walked out and sat down at the table near the railing.

“So really, what do you want exactly?” Jughead asked. Sabrina settled back and let her eyes scan the beach and water before looking back at him.

“I realize that I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and I’ve treated people badly for my own gain, and honestly, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, after I ended it with Archie and I really just wanted to say that I’m sorry for what I did to you Jughead. You didn’t deserve it and I still can’t believe I actually used you to get ahead, especially because you were one of the best friends I’d had growing up and I’m just really sorry Jughead,” Sabrina said quietly. 

Jughead studied her for a while. She looked perfect, as always. Not a hair or piece of clothing out of place and her eyes, though bright and focused on him, seemed to lack warmth. In fact, she seemed almost nervous and he didn’t know what to make of it. It was usual to be nervous when trying to make amends, but when your eyes lacked the emotions of what you were saying, it didn’t add up. He blinked when her eyes suddenly filled with tears and he raised an eyebrow. Well, that was certainly new; Sabrina wasn’t usually given to that level of emotion, even when something sad happened. He reached across the table and rested his hand on his and she gripped it almost too tightly and he furrowed his brow.

“It’s fine Sabrina, I’m honestly over it and you don’t need to bring this up again. It’s the past and I’d rather just forget about it,” Jughead said, even though his unease didn’t go away.

“Well, I needed to say it because you’re a good man Jughead and any woman would be lucky to have you,” she insisted. Jughead let go of her hand and sat back and laughed lightly.

“Yeah, just waiting for someone to come along, I guess,” he muttered.

“You haven’t met anyone yet who you like?” she asked in surprise.

“Maybe,” he replied with a smile, feeling his heart warm at the thought of Betty. “I’m not sure if it’s anything, but I’m hoping.” She smiled at him and his unease left a little, thinking he was probably just paranoid.

“Remember that time when we were 16 and you had a crush on that girl, what was her name….Ethel? God, sometimes I still think about how you tripped on your shoe lace while running after her to apologize for eating her cookie at lunch and landed in that mud puddle, which she found so hilarious and literally didn’t stop laughing at you for a month,” Sabrina reminisced. Jughead laughed out loud at that memory. God, he was such a dork at that age.

“Yeah, I never did manage to get a date out of her,” he laughed.

“Life was simpler then,” she said softly. He smiled and nodded. She let out a sigh and pushed her chair back, standing to her feet. “Well, I have a meeting and I really just needed a minute to apologize to you and I hope you can forgive me,” Sabrina said. Jughead stood and smiled at her.

“Sure why not, I’m in a forgiving mood lately it seems,” he said quietly. He was shocked and froze when Sabrina stepped close and grabbed his face, kissing him full on the mouth. She pulled back before he could really react and smiled up at him while she held his face.

“For old time’s sake,” she said with a smile. “I’ll see you around, Jughead.” And with that quiet statement, she was gone. Jughead wiped his hand over his mouth and frowned after her as he watched through the open door as she grabbed her things and headed out the front door. Weirdly enough, and despite their history, the kiss was such a turn off, he actually shuddered a little and his mind immediately went to Betty and her soft mouth and the way she had kissed him and how it felt to have her lips on him. He realized that he was completely gone for her and he was quite literally losing his mind and if she didn’t contact him soon, he was probably going to become one of those crazy people and start stalking her online and try to get her attention. He decided right then to send a message of sorts, in hopes that she looked at his Instagram account.

He pulled out his phone and went to his account and chose a picture he had taken of her on the boat and cropped it just enough so that it was obvious it was on a boat and had strands of her hair floating across the picture. He captioned it: _Remembering an afternoon on a boat that I will never forget._ He posted it and disabled comments so he didn’t have to put up with questions but the ‘like’ count immediately started to rise. Of course he expected it to be screenshot and reposted with the obvious questions but he didn’t care, he just wanted her to know he was thinking about her.

 

A few days later, as he sat on the couch listening to JB talk about his upcoming premiere, he went through some of the pics that he was tagged in on Instagram and of course the picture he had posted was all over the place and people were in a guessing game over who’s hair it was. He wondered briefly if maybe he shouldn’t have done it.

“Jughead?” JB suddenly said, sitting up straight in her chair. “When was Sabrina over here?” she asked.

“Like 3 days ago, why?” he asked in confusion, looking up from his phone. “How do you know she was here?”

“A gossip site just uploaded some pictures,” she said in horror, her face shocked.

“What?” he gasped, getting up and grabbing her phone. “Jesus Christ,” he said through clenched teeth as he stared at the pics. 

“You look like you were having a good time,” she said with a wince at his obvious anger. 

“Jughead Jones reconciles with his Ex?” he snapped. “What the fuck is this? These pictures are completely out of context,” he said angrily. One of them gripping hands. One where he was smiling softly. One where they were laughing and looking to be having a great time. The fucking kiss.

“Okay, tell me the context,” JB said quickly, paging through the pics. 

“She was apologizing and I felt something seemed off and when her eyes filled with tears as if on cue, I just put my hand on hers and she gripped it as if she was hanging on for dear life. I swear that smiling one was probably when I was saying I may have met someone. The laughing was her bringing up the stupid Ethel story from when we were kids and that fucking kiss was her just planting one on me and took me completely by surprise. She left before I could even respond.”

“These were probably taken from a boat off shore. Telescopic lens most likely. Why the hell were you on the balcony? I know you don’t usually get photographed at your home but even you wouldn’t take that risk.”

“She wanted to sit there,” Jughead said slowly, and then felt himself seething with anger. “Bitch,” he gasped in realization.

“She set you up,” JB said, furious herself. Jughead clenched his jaw and went over to the entrance table and grabbed his car keys. “Jug, what are you doing?” his sister asked. He didn’t answer as he stormed out the door.

When he pulled up in front of the office building where Sabrina’s offices were, he was in such a rage, he had to take a moment to calm himself. On his way he had taken measure and insured she paid for fucking him over once again. He had called ahead as well, pretending to be a delivery company and her assistant had informed him that she was indeed in the office. He strode into the lobby and took the elevator to the 15th floor and stormed into Spellman Public Relations and the assistant behind the desk stared at him in surprise.

“Mr. Jones, what are you doing here?” she asked. “Do you have an appointment?” 

“I don’t need a god damned appointment,” he growled as he strode toward the office door. He threw it open despite the assistant’s protests and came face to face with a surprised Sabrina, sitting behind her desk and talking on the phone.

“I’m going to have to call you back,” she said quickly and hung up the phone.

“Jughead, what are you doing here?” she asked quickly. He put the phone down in front of her, the kissing picture taking up the screen and her eyes widened at it.

“Tell me you didn’t fucking set me up,” he growled. 

“Of course I didn’t…….” she said quickly but the lie was there in her eyes. He snorted and grabbed his phone back.

“You fucking bitch,” he laughed. “I should have known you didn’t have a fucking remorseful bone in your body.”

“Okay, Jughead, listen to me….” She began.

“Why Sabrina?” he interrupted. “Why did you do this? What can you possibly gain by having this shit all over the gossip rags.” Sabrina sighed, realizing there was no point in lying and she sat back in her chair and folded her hands, her steely cold demeanor taking over her features.

“I haven’t been in the news in a while and business is slow, so why not put myself out there and really, there is no better way than with your name and image,” she stated, completely void of emotions.

“Fucking hell,” Jughead said hoarsely. “You have zero fucking conscience.” 

“Oh for God’s sake, what’s the big deal? Put out a statement, call me names, do whatever, it’s not that big a deal. I just wanted some press.”

“You don’t give a fuck who you hurt, do you?” he asked angrily. She just shrugged and grabbed her phone as if to dismiss him. He grabbed it from her hand and slammed it back down. “You have used me for the last time,” he snapped. “You seem to forget that I could fucking ruin you,” Jughead laughed as he scrolled his phone and pressed play on a video file. There she was, shit talking half her clients and her eyes widened in fear. “Oh, what? You thought I got rid of this when we buried the hatchet the last time?”

“Jesus Christ, what are you going to do with that?” she asked in horror. Finally, some kind of emotion.

“You mean like release it to the press? No Sabrina, I’m not a fucking asshole. I’m actually aware of people’s feelings and I have no desire to bring you down and make sure your career is ruined because I actually have a heart. But, some of these clients, some of these people are my friends, well, I’m not sure what they would do with this information,” he said with a smirk.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she said with an angry glare.

“It’s already done, bitch. Five of the people on here are actual friends of mine and are famous enough to cause a huge problem for you and they all have copies of the video, where you, the woman representing them, is talking utter shit about them. What they do with it, well that’s up to them and not on me. I’m just making sure I let them know what you really think of them.” She sat back in shock, the folly of what she had done finally sinking in. He rested his hands on the desk and leaned forward and sneered at her. “If I ever hear or see anything in the press again that in any way has anything to do with me and you, I will release the parts to the press where you’re shit talking politicians, the former president and what you really think of Hollywood producers. Tread carefully Sabrina. Now, you get these god damned pictures pulled and you fucking do it now and get that headline retracted or you’ll never be able to show your face in this town again.” With that angry threat, Jughead stormed from her office, throwing the door open so hard that the door knob dented the wall. 

Sabrina’s assistant ran in, the look on her face one of disbelief.

“You see?” he heard Sabrina say as she was trying to save face. “This is what I had to put up with for 6 years.” 

“Um, Josie, from the Pussy Cats is on the phone. She sounds seriously pissed,” the assistant blurted and he stepped into the elevator and grinned at the string of curses that he heard fall from Sabrina’s lips. He didn’t bother mentioning that the people he had sent parts of the video too were good enough friends where they agreed to not go public but just sever ties with Sabrina but he knew she would be quaking in fear for a good while. 

 

When he got back home, JB was pacing back and forth, a worried look on her face.

“Where the hell did you go?” she asked angrily. 

“Just paid Sabrina a visit. She won’t be a problem anymore,” he said, throwing his keys on the counter.

“Okay, well that’s good. We’ll issue a statement and it should be fine.”

“No, she’ll do it, or her ass is grass,” Jughead said angrily. “I still can’t believe she did this shit.” He paced back and forth in front of the couch, trying to calm himself.

“Calm down Jughead,” JB sighed. “We’ve handled shit like this before, why are you so enraged?”

“Because Betty is going to see that shit!” he yelled before he could help himself. Jellybean raised an eyebrow. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I just don’t….if she thinks……”

“Okay, sweetie, you know I love you, so please don’t think I’m trying to be mean, but don’t you think if this woman wanted to be with you, she would have contacted you by now? Hasn’t it been like seven weeks almost?”

“Yes, but she…..fuck, I don’t know,” he groaned, sitting down on the couch and resting his head in his hands. JB let out a frustrated sigh and came and sat on the coffee table.

“Jughead, do you like this woman?” she asked. He raised his head and looked at her.

“Obviously,” he snapped.

“Then fucking do something about it. Clearly this is one of two things. She’s too scared to contact you because she thinks it was just a fling and can’t go anywhere, or she wants nothing more from you. Either way, the only way you’ll know is if you make the first move. So why don’t you stop with the bitching and moping and give her a call.”

“I don’t have her number,” he said quietly.

“Jesus Christ Jughead, it’s 2018 for fucks sake. You can find anybody nowadays. What’s her full name and where is she from.”

“Betty Cooper and all I know is she’s from a town called Riverdale and it’s across the country.”

“And you said she worked for a newspaper?”

“Yes,” Jughead muttered. Jellybean pulled up google on her phone and started searching. It took her only a minute. She turned her phone and showed the screen. There she was, editor and reporter for The Register in Riverdale, New York. 

“You never thought to look her up?” JB asked laughing.

“I was waiting for her,” Jughead said. “I wasn’t about to intrude.”

“Your problem is you’ve always been too nice,” his sister sighed. She searched a bit more and grabbed a pen and wrote down some stuff and handed him the paper. “Phone and address, now what are you going to do? You going to call her?” Jughead studied the paper and then put it down on the coffee table.

“I’m going to give her more time,” he said quietly. JB rolled her eyes and got up. 

“Well, I’m going out,” she said as she gathered her things. “Don’t wait too long Jughead, someone will snatch her up, if they haven’t already.” Jughead lay down on the couch and closed his eyes. How the hell had his life become such a bloody mess?

 

Betty sat on the couch and let out a tired sigh. Veronica was over and had mercifully offered to go read a bedtime story to the twins and give her a breather. It had been a long day as it was their third birthday and she was beat. The party had been wonderful and she felt blessed that so many people loved her little girls, but she was about ready to pass out. It was finally quite, and as always, when she was finally alone with her own thoughts, they went to Jughead. She missed him so much, it actually hurt. 

She pulled out her phone and looked at his number, as she had done every single day since she got home, 7 weeks of wrestling with whether she should contact him or not. She wanted to, so badly that a few times she had started typing out a text but she always ended up deleting it. She knew that he had given his number because he expected her to use it but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. She really really liked him and she wanted to kick herself for getting involved because she had no idea how him being in her life, even with just texting, was going to work and she just didn’t want to start something that would go nowhere and she didn’t know if her heart could handle it.

She left the contact app and opened her photos and pulled up the picture she had of him. He had let her take one with the promise to keep it to herself and she smiled when she looked at his grinning face. God, he was beautiful and she missed him so much. His arms, his kiss, his everything. Have a fling, they said. What’s the worst that could happen? She wanted to scream in frustration for having listened to her friends. Now she was stuck pining like a damn idiot over someone completely unattainable. She put her phone down and lay her head back on the couch. A few minutes later Veronica came back to the living room and sighed as she flopped into a chair.

“Man, I love those two girls with everything in me, but holy shit, they tire me out,” she muttered. Betty smiled, not opening her eyes. “Hey, I meant to ask you earlier. Did you see the Jughead Jones gossip today?” Veronica asked. Betty’s eyes flew open and her head snapped up.

“What gossip? I made myself stay away from bullshit sites and gossip crap,” she said, feeling her stomach tighten before she even knew what she was about to see. Veronica pulled out her phone and opened Instagram to a celebrity gossip account. She handed the phone to Betty. It took everything in her to not react to what she was seeing.

“Looks like he made up with the ex,” Veronica said with a sigh. “There goes my chances,” she added with a laugh. Betty felt her stomach clench into a tight knot as she looked at the pictures. She studied them carefully and then handed the phone back to her friend.

“I don’t believe it’s true,” she said quietly, still working on keeping herself calm.

“Um, these pictures are pretty telling, they look happy,” Veronica insisted. Betty shook her head and sat back. She had spent enough time with Jughead to recognise things in his posture and expression.

“The one that looks like he’s holding her hand, it’s more like she’s gripping it and he looks concerned. His smile is soft in the next one, which granted, could mean he’s happy, but it can also mean he’s thinking about something that makes him happy, because she looks curious in that one. The laughing, well that doesn’t mean anything other than something was funny and the kiss is all her.”

“What do you mean, it’s all her?” Veronica asked, studying the photo.

“She’s grabbing his face, he looks surprised and doesn’t look like he’s returning the kiss. His arms are hanging at his sides, there is no touching. She definitely planted it on him before he knew what she was doing,” Betty insisted. 

“Well, regardless, they are spending time together, so I guess they must be getting along. They have history, you know?” Betty said nothing, remembering exactly what that history was and she clenched her hands as they rested on her thighs. “Well, hon, I’m gonna take off. I’ll come by tomorrow and help clean up if you want,” V said as she got up and grabbed her jacket and purse.

“No, it’s okay, I can manage,” Betty said quietly, getting up and hugging her friend. After she left, Betty sat back down and curled up under a blanket, feeling anxious and upset and she felt her eyes sting. She pulled out her phone and despite her promise to herself, pulled up the gossip and stared at the pictures again. She looked up Jughead’s Instagram, at the picture he had posted from the island. The boat, her hair, his caption. She had almost text him that day but had once again chickened out and now it only made her want to cry. She went back to the pictures with Sabrina and she had to admit, they did look happy and the pain in her chest only twisted worse. 

She had no idea what was happening in the pictures, but it showed that he was talking with his ex, someone he had wanted nothing to do with and she didn’t know what to make of it. She couldn’t keep doing this. She had been torturing herself for 7 weeks and she was starting to lose her mind. Jughead was a celebrity and he had a history with a woman that would probably never leave him alone and he would always be in the gossip news and his life would always be dragged around for all to see. It wasn’t anything she wanted to be a part of, more so for her daughters than herself. There was no future with Jughead that she could see and there was no point in torturing herself anymore with thoughts and ideas and dreams of something more than what they had.

Betty opened her contacts and pulled up his number. She stared at it for so long, her eyes started to blur. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision and swiped left with her thumb, the delete button glaring at her in angry red. Her stomach twisted and her eyes stung but she quickly pressed it and the number was gone. She had to move on.

Despite her steely resolve and knowing it was the right thing to do, as she curled up, her face in her hands, Betty began to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr at lazydaizies


	9. Something Amazing....

“Sophie and Gracie, if you two don’t stop fighting right now, there will be no ice cream after dinner tonight. Do you hear me?” Betty said firmly to the two little girls currently going at it over a toy they both wanted. 

“Mama, I have it first,” Gracie insisted with a pout and was rewarded with a shove from her sister.

“Sophie, do not push! Now say you’re sorry, right now!” Betty insisted. 

“I’m sorry,” the little girl said grudgingly. 

“Now, hand me that toy and both of you go and sit on the couch and be quiet and don’t move until I say you can.” The girls frowned and sulked away to settle themselves on the couch. Betty sighed and went to the kitchen and continued wiping down the counter. For all their craziness, when it came time to sit on the couch quietly until mommy says they can move, the twins actually did just that. They had already learned that if they did what she said in the regard, they would be allowed to move much sooner.

But, as always, with the silence came the thoughts about Jughead. It had been a week since she deleted his number and a week of her wondering if she should have maybe at least contacted him, just in case he was waiting for it. She sighed and leaned back against the counter. She didn’t know why she kept doing this to herself but she had a feeling it would be a long time, if ever, before she stopped thinking about him. It didn’t help that when she went to the store he was all over the magazines and all over social media. She figured she ought to just go about it like Veronica had told her when she was back on the island. The point was to have a fling so you could say you had slept with a celebrity. But Betty knew she would never do that because it was their secret and she hadn’t told a soul about it. Not even her best friend. Maybe she needed to get it out, maybe that would help her move on. And almost like she had heard her thinking, Veronica chose that moment to walk through the door.

“Auntie’s here,” she announced, holding up a bag with what Betty figured was probably a toy of some kind. Veronica spoiled the twins and they loved her. 

“Auntie V,” the girls squealed in unison and forgot all about sitting quietly as they scrambled off the couch and hurried over to be enveloped in a bear hug by the raven haired woman. Betty laughed and shook her head.

“My God, you two little imps drive me bonkers but I love you so freaking much!” Veronica exclaimed as she smothered them with kisses. She had a stuffed animal for both of them and they jumped up and down in excitement, hugging them close.

“What brings you by?” Betty asked, pulling a jug of lemon water from the fridge.

“I missed my girls, what can I say?” V said with a grin. “And where the hell are your pants?” she asked, motioning to Betty’s bare legs. 

“I’m wearing pajama shorts, my shirt is just long,” Betty explained. Sophie came running into the kitchen demanding something to drink and then started climbing the stove just as there was a knock at the door. Betty was busy pouring and holding her foot to the oven door so it didn’t fly open with Sophie hanging off of it and she let out a sigh.

“Get that for me, V,” she requested as she tried to wrangle her child. 

“Mama, I want something to drink too,” Gracie yelled from the couch as Veronica opened the door. From where she was trying to get Sophie down off the oven door, Betty couldn’t see who was at the door. She raised an eyebrow when Veronica suddenly slammed it shut and just stood there staring at it.

“What on earth are you doing?” Betty asked, managing to pull the wiggling girl off the stove and hoisting her up like a sack of potatoes against her hip. Veronica opened the door again and just stared.

“Okay, so I wasn’t imagining things,” she said, sounding completely shocked. “Betty?”

“What?” she asked, trying to undo the grip Sophie had on the oven door handle.

“Why is Jughead Jones standing on your front porch?” 

Betty almost dropped her child.

“What did you say?” she choked out. Veronica opened the door wider and stepped back, looking completely stupefied. There he stood and Betty simply forgot to breathe. He looked worried and extremely nervous. She stood frozen as she stared at him, Sophie wiggling to get out of her grip, and if Veronica hadn’t hurried over to grab her, she would have fallen. 

Betty became aware of two things in the same instant. He looked better than she remembered and she looked like utter shit. Her hair was up in a lopsided bun, she wore zero makeup, her t-shirt was stained, she probably looked like she hadn’t slept in a year and she looked like she wasn’t wearing any pants. He couldn’t have picked a worse time to show up. 

“Hey,” he said softly, sounding unsure and almost afraid.

“Close the door,” she said in a horrified whisper. 

“What?” Veronica asked, confused.

“Close the bloody door!” Betty snapped, feeling much like she was going to faint. Veronica put down Sophie and walked over to the door, where Jughead still stood quietly.

“Just wait a moment and don’t leave,” she managed with a smile and he swallowed and nodded and she softly closed the door. She turned and looked at Betty, her face glazed with shock.

“What the hell is happening?” she asked. “How in God’s name do you know Jughead Jones and why is he here?” Betty didn’t say a word as she turned and raced for her bedroom. She hopped into a pair of jeans and quickly pulled on a clean t-shirt and fixed her bun so the hair wasn’t flying in all directions and went back to the kitchen, where Veronica was peeking out the window.

“Is he still there?” Betty croaked and she grabbed the glass of water and downed it quickly.

“Yes, and looking like he’s going to throw up. Seriously Betty, what is happening?” 

“Just give me a few minutes,” Betty said with a shaky sigh. She wiped her sweaty palms and opened the door and Jughead, who was pacing the porch floor, stopped immediately and turned to look at her. She stepped out and closed the door behind her, but kept a tight grip on the knob, as if it protected her in some way. “What….what are you doing here?” she asked in a whisper. “How did you get here?”

“I drove,” he said quietly. Her eyes widened.

“You drove here from California?” she asked in surprise.

“I didn’t want any press to know where I was going so I took a few days and made sure to stay away from major cities and largely populated areas. Look, I know this is a shock and I showed up completely unannounced and you look like you have your hands full, but I just…..i need to talk to you.” Betty could barely understand what he was saying as her eyes devoured him. Her heart was racing and she honestly had no idea how someone could look so good. His tan khaki’s and light brown shirt sat on his lean body as if they had been made specifically for him and it didn’t help that he had half the buttons undone. He’d gotten a bit of a haircut and she honestly wanted to wrap herself all around him and shove her tongue in his mouth. She almost rolled her eyes at herself. “You probably don’t have time to talk right now, but would you be able to meet me, later maybe? I’m staying at the Sweet Water Inn; I’m sure you know where that is. Could you meet me later?” he asked quietly. Betty managed a nod and he smiled in relief. 

“I could be there in a couple hours or so,” she managed to say, her voice sounding like she was being strangled. She was reeling and decided she must be imagining his presence. “Are you seriously here right now?” she asked. Jughead stepped closer and there was only a foot of space between them and her mind immediately went to one specific incident at his chalet where he had her up against the door and his hands and mouth were…..Betty gave herself a mental shake and tried to force herself to concentrate.

“I’m here and I’m not leaving until we get a chance to talk,” he said softly, his eyes roaming hungrily over her face as if he hadn’t seen her in years. The heat was still there and the air was thick with it. “Room 17.”

“Okay,” she said quickly, before she made an ass of herself. “I’ll be there later.” He stepped back and gave her a small smile and turned and left the porch and headed to a black SUV that she figured was probably a rental. She hurried back inside, slamming the door shut behind her and falling against it, trying to get control of herself. She looked up and found Veronica standing in front of her hands on her hips.

“Spill!” she demanded. Betty sighed and slowly walked over to the couch and dropped down into it, her legs shaking and weak. She looked around and frowned.

“Where are the girls?” she asked.

“I put a movie on for them in your room so they would be entertained. Now please tell me why the hell the hottest guy on the planet is paying you a visit,” Veronica ordered, sitting down on the chair.

“Well, remember how you told me I should have a fling while on vacation?” Betty asked sheepishly.

“Fuck off!” Veronica exclaimed. “Are you joking? You flung with Jughead Jones?”

“Flung?” Betty repeated in confusion. “Is that the proper terminology?”

“Who fucking cares? Are you seriously telling me that you had a fling with Jughead Jones? The Jughead Jones? 

“Yes,” Betty said slowly, wondering if her friend was going to pass out.

“You slept with Jughead Jones?”

“Yes.”

“Like once? Or….”

“No, like….i don’t actually know. I stayed at his chalet. We had a lot of sex,” Betty said, her face burning.

“Holy shit,” Veronica whispered. She sat as if in a daze and Betty chewed her lip nervously. “You need to tell me everything. Everything! Start at the beginning and why the hell didn’t you tell me?” 

“I told him I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Betty said softly, looking at her folded hands. “You really want to know how it happened?”

“God, yes!” Veronica exclaimed. Betty told her the story from start to finish and it took a good while and by the time she was done, Veronica looked like she was going to faint.

“Reggie played match maker? Jughead gave you his phone number and you fucking deleted it? He shops at Walmart???” Betty let out a laugh at her friend’s choice of things to freak out over. “Okay, so if you guys just had a vacation thing and that was how you ended it, why is he here?”

“I don’t know,” Betty said quietly. “But I guess I’ll find out.”

“Well, you must have been right about the Sabrina thing because the original source pulled their story. So either he or she threatened to sue, or something, and they aren’t together, which makes him completely single,” Veronica mused. She studied Betty and suddenly smiled. “Seriously though, how is he?”

“He’s really kind and sweet. Honestly V, he’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met,” Betty said softly.

“Ok, Betty honey, the man drove across the country, the long way, to avoid bringing the press here just to see you, I already know he’s nice. I want to know how he is in bed,” Veronica said, exasperated. Betty blushed and couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face.

“Good,” she said softly.

“Good? Good doesn’t sound very exciting.”

“Okay, he’s amazing. Really amazing. I was thoroughly satisfied every time. Several times, every time.”

“Well, now you’re just being mean,” Veronica said with a sigh. “Does he look good naked?” Betty raised an eyebrow and smirked at her.

“What do you think?”

“I hate you,” Veronica laughed. “So why is he here? This was clearly more than a fling to him if he followed you across the country and I honestly can’t believe you didn’t tell me. You know I wouldn’t have told anyone.”

“I just…..we decided it was just a vacation thing because we are from two different worlds basically. I want no part of that life, especially with children and it’s not like he’s going to start slumming it with me. I didn’t use his number because I honestly was trying to get over him and move on with my life and I don’t know why he’s here,” Betty explained in confusion. 

“You’ve been trying to get over him? So it was more than a fling? And also, he wouldn’t be slumming it for God’s sake,” Veronica asked softly.

“God, I don’t know,” Betty sad, running her hands through her hair. She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. “We really connected and we talked about so many things. Personal things. It wasn’t just the sex. Somewhere along the way we let it go past that and now everything is screwed up.”

“Why is it screwed up? I mean, Jughead Jones, the man pretty much every female on the planet wants, is driving across the country for you. Either you’re astonishingly good in bed, or it’s way more than a fling to him. Hell, maybe it’s both.”

“That’s the problem, V,” Betty sighed. “How could this work?”

“Maybe you should just get out of your head and relax and see what happens,” Veronica suggested.

“Funny, that’s what Reggie said that got me into this in the first place.”

“I guess island life has made Reggie smart,” Veronica laughed. She got up from her chair and sat next to Betty. “Betty, Jughead Jones has a thing for you. Jughead Jones.”

“It’s not about who he is, V. I don’t care about any of that stuff. I honestly wish he was a nobody that I just met somewhere. He’s nothing like they make him out to be in the press. He isn’t some play boy, he’s not a conceited asshole, he doesn’t use women and throw them aside and he’s definitely not a cheater. Sabrina Spellman really hurt him. Would you believe that, including me, he’s only slept with 5 women?”

“Seriously?” Veronica exclaimed. “But he could sleep with anyone, anytime. Wouldn’t most guys take advantage of that?”

“He doesn’t.”

“So, this fling you two had…..that accidently became a non fling….”

“A decision made by two consenting and seriously horny adults. We both knew it had an expiration date.”

“Apparently not,” Veronica smiles. She stood suddenly and pulled Betty to her feet. “You have a sexy man to meet who drove a long way to see you. Get in the shower. I’ll take care of the girls.”

After Betty showered, she stood in her closet and tried to decide what she should wear. Veronica tried to lend a hand by going through some of Betty’s beautiful dresses and she shook her head.

“No, V. I’m going to go as myself. Regular person, mom of two kids. Jeans and t-shirt.”

“Seriously? Would you wear that on a date?”

“This isn’t a date and I’m going as myself. The person at the resort was a fantasy that ran around in skimpy bikinis and beautiful gowns to sing in. I’m going as myself,” Betty insisted.

“Alright, fine.” 

Betty finished getting ready, in the jeans and t-shirt. She put on some mascara and lip gloss and put her hair up in her usual ponytail. This was who she was and that’s what she was going to show. She hugged her girls and promised to be back soon and went to gather her keys and purse. Veronica walked with her to the door and gave her a hug.

“Do not tell anyone about this!” she said to her as she opened the door.

“I swear I wont! Take as long as you need. I can stay with the girls. All night if I have to,” Veronica said with a knowing smile. Betty rolled her eyes and headed to her car.

 

When she arrived at the inn, her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid she was going to have a panic attack. She leaned her forehead on the steering wheel and took a few minutes to calm her breathing. Once she had it under control, she got out of the car and soon found herself at the door of his room. She knocked softly and the door swung open almost immediately. The relief on his face when he saw her was obvious. He stepped back and she walked into the room. He closed the door and they just stood and looked at each other for a few moments.

“I missed you,” he said softly. “My life has been literal shit since you left me on that island.” Betty dropped her bag and he reached for her at the same time and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her into a tight embrace. God, she had missed his arms, strong and warm. She had missed it so much that she couldn’t help the whimper of relief that left her lips. Her entire body ached with wanting him and she pressed her face to his neck.

“I don’t want to let you go again,” he murmured. “I didn’t do so well with this and I know I broke the rule that it didn’t go beyond the vacation, I just missed you.” Betty pulled away and stepped back, seeing the panic on his face. “I didn’t get back with Sabrina,” he suddenly blurted.

“I know,” she said softly. “Did you drive all that way just to tell me that?” she asked with a smile.

“No. I drove all this way because I missed you and apparently you lost my phone number,” he said quietly. Betty dropped her eyes and pressed her hands together. 

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t……”

“You don’t have to apologize, Betty,” Jughead interrupted her. “I understand. It was supposed to be simple and our vacation was over and we went back to our lives.” She gripped her hands and didn’t say anything. “The problem is, I can’t stop thinking about you,” he said softly. Betty lifted her eyes and looked at him, her heart racing. 

“Jug,” she started, her chin trembling. “I didn’t use your number because….” She paused, trying to find the words that she should say and not the ones she wanted to say.

“Because you were trying to forget I existed?” he offered. She winced and sat on the end of the bed that took up most of the room.

“Kind of,” she said in a whisper. She looked at him and he nodded in understanding. She took a deep breath and continued. “I really missed you too. Every day since I’ve been home and I can’t stop thinking about you either and it’s driving me crazy because I want more than anything to not think about you,” she admitted, her face burning with embarrassment at her admission.

“Why?” he asked softly. 

“Because I have no business thinking about you,” she said. She stood and spread her arms and let out a small laugh. “This is who I am Jughead. I’m not rich or fancy and I’m not the girl on the island in small bikinis and beautiful gowns. I’m jeans and t-shirts and ponytails. I have two little girls that I would do anything for and I would never do anything that would put them in a difficult situation. My life isn’t glitz and glamour. It’s hard and it’s tiring and I’m not like the other people in your life.”

“The other people in my life?” Jughead laughed. “I’m pretty sure we covered this at the resort. There is nobody in my life, Betty. How many times did I tell you that I wanted normal, a normal life, with someone real who didn’t have an agenda. You keep telling me that you don’t want that life, that you’d never want it. I keep telling you that all I want is normal but all you see is the celebrity that surrounds me and you think that’s me.”

“It is you, Jughead,” she said sadly. “Whether you like it or not, that is your life. You know I sat around for 7 weeks staring at your number and sometimes I was even typing out a text and then I would delete it because I didn’t see the point. Then I saw all the crap with Sabrina and whether it was true or not, I realized that there would always be something. You will spend your life surrounded by gossip and being in the public eye and I couldn’t handle that and I made a decision to move on and stop thinking about you and dreaming about you and I deleted your number. Now here you are and now once again I’m thinking impossible things,” Betty said almost angrily. 

“Do you remember why I was at the resort?” Jughead asked. 

“You were trying to make career choices,” she said.

“Well, I’ve spent the last two months thinking about what I wanted. I thought about you and I missed you so fucking much it hurt and I barely know you. I sat around in my big beach house, surrounded by things, my face on covers of magazines, traveling the world. I have friends that are famous and all I feel is lonely. All the fucking time. Nobody knows who the hell I am. Then I met you and those few days were the happiest that I’ve ever remembered having,” Jughead said.

“Jug, I don’t understand,” Betty said softly

“I’ve decided to quit modeling and I’m stepping away from movies indefinitely.”

“What?” she gasped. “Are you crazy?”

“Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t make me happy Betty. It hasn’t for a while. Sure, I like acting, but it has turned my life into something that I don’t want. I have no privacy and I can’t enjoy anything or go anywhere without being surrounded by people. That was never what I wanted and I just….i just want a normal life for a while,” he said, sounding almost lost.

“What kind of normal life?” she asked slowly. “What is normal to you?”

“Being with you, getting to know you, away from the rest of the world,” Jughead said, his eyes desperate and filled with longing. Betty’s heart was going a mile a minute and she honestly felt like she was going to faint. Jughead wanted to be with her. He drove all the way across the country because he wanted to be with her. She could barely breathe, much less think.

“Jug, I don’t…”

“You don’t what? Want to take a risk?” He walked over to her and took her hands and she knew he could feel her trembling. “I know you’re scared Betty, fuck, so am I. This could all blow up in my face and I’m baring my soul here and you could tell me to fuck off and walk out the door and I’d go back to California and lock myself in a room and just write for days on end and take pictures and nothing will have changed and I’d probably still be a famous lonely idiot who everyone thinks is happy but I’d be miserable.”

“What exactly are you saying, Jughead?” Betty was suddenly desperate to hear him say what she thought he was about to say.

“I’m asking you to take a chance and see if there is anything between us beyond the resort. I have missed you so much, I just want to spend some time with you and get to know you and your life.” Betty studied his face and saw his vulnerability.

“You should probably think this through some more,” she said, her chin quivering. “What you saw this morning when my friend opened the door is my life. Messy hair, stained clothing, missing pants, trying to pull a kid off of the appliances so they don’t die by accident. Frazzled, tired and losing my mind.”

“Well, that kind of sounds like what life is like after a bender,” he said, his lips quirking in a smile. “Except it would be trying to keep a friend from jumping off the roof because he thinks he can fly.”

“You go on benders?” she asked, surprised.

“No,” he laughed. “But I’ve seriously heard they’re just like that. Also, I honestly wouldn’t mind if you lost your pants.” Betty let out a giggle before she could stop it and he smiled. “Betty, I just think there is something between us. It wasn’t just sex and you know it. All I’m asking is you give it a chance and we try giving this a go.”

“You live in California,” she sighed. “I live here.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Jug…” He stepped closer to her, his hands brushing down her arm and she shivered. She took a step toward him, simply unable to help herself. He was like a magnet and she was powerless against his pull. 

“How often did you think about me when you came home?” he asked softly. Betty closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the skin of his chest that showed through the open buttons of his shirt.

“Every day,” she whispered.

“Look at me,” he urged. Betty lifted her head and tried to remember to breathe, his mouth only inches from hers.

“I want to try, Betty. I want to see if I’m not imagining that there is something here, that we could be something amazing if we just give it a chance.”

“I’m scared, Jughead,” Betty said, her eyes filling with tears. “You do realize that I come with kids. You’re not just getting into a relationship with me.”

“I can’t imagine anything better than being surrounded by beautiful women,” he said with a smile. She smiled at that.

“I’m a mom and I have two little girls and if anything ever went wrong, if they got to know you and got used to you and suddenly you’d be gone……”

“We haven’t even started yet and already you have us doomed,” he said teasingly. “I know the risk here for you Betty. I know it’s big but the last thing I want to do is hurt you or your girls. I’m just asking for a chance to show you that this could be good.”

“What if it ends up just being good because of the sex,” she asked with a sigh. “For all we know, that’s the only thing we’d be really good at.”

“Well, we could just not have it,” he suggested and she raised an eyebrow. “We’ll just get to know each other and stay away from the sex until we know it’s not just sexual.”

“I guess,” she said slowly. 

“So what do you say? You want to give this a shot?” he asked hopefully. 

“You really want me? You want to be with me? When you could be with anyone?” she asked, her chin trembling as self-doubt and insecurity creeped in, her eyes searching his face for any sign that he maybe wasn’t sure. 

“I don’t want to be with anyone else,” Jughead said in a whisper. “I don’t want anybody but you. I can’t even explain how much I want to give this a shot, how much I want to be with you.”

“Okay,” she said so quietly, he almost didn’t hear her. He cupped her face and stared into her eyes, searching for any hint of hesitation. He smiled when he found none and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close again. Betty gripped his shirt, in a bit of disbelief that she had just entered into some sort of relationship with Jughead Jones. She also couldn’t believe that sex was off the table because her body had been humming ever since she came into the room and she was standing there with his arms around her and all she wanted to do was rip his clothes off and her body trembled at the thought.

Her hands moved and settled on his hips and she took a deep breath, her head resting against his chest. His lean body felt so strong under her hands and she couldn’t help but let them slide up his sides a little, her breath coming out of her mouth in a rush, blowing warm across the exposed skin of his chest.

“The sex thing is a good idea,” she said, like she was trying to convince herself. His hands moved to settle on her waist and he let out a sigh.

“Yeah, I mean, I did say back at the resort that I’d make sure you had enough for another 4 years, so you should be good, right?” he asked, his voice sounding a little strangled, his fingers digging into her sides. “I did try to make sure that you wouldn’t forget and that should…that should….you’re good, yeah?”

“I don’t know, having kids kind of kills your brain cells a little and I may have completely forgotten,” Betty whispered as she pulled her head back and looked up at him. His thumb had found its way under the hem of her shirt and was making slow circles on her skin and his lips hovered just above hers. “We may have to do it at least once, just to remind me.” 

“You realized you’re trying to break the rule literally a minute after it was made,” he murmured softly, his gaze fixed on her mouth. She could only nod as her wide eyed gaze held his.

“Fuck,” he muttered with a sigh before his mouth covered hers. Betty moaned at the familiar feel and taste and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself against him, her whole body trembling eagerly for him. God, she had missed his kiss. She opened for his tongue and he groaned when she stroked it with hers. His hands slid over her backside and when he gripped it and lifted, she wrapped her legs around him, her hands sliding into his hair as she all but devoured his mouth. “I meant it,” he gasped when he pulled away for air and her mouth attacked his neck. “I can wait, we don’t have to….”

“Shut up Jughead,” she breathed, her tongue flicking over his ear. He laughed and walked the two steps to the bed and dropped her on it, coming down on top of her. “God, I missed you,” she moaned when his mouth attached to her neck, sucking on her skin. “I’m sorry you have to stay in this crappy inn so nobody sees you,” she gasped, when his teeth raked over her collar bone. She pulled at his shirt and he didn’t bother unbuttoning it, just pulled it over his head and her hands moved eagerly over his warm skin, no longer having to dream about touching him again.

“I don’t give a shit where I am, as long as I get to see you,” he said gruffly, his hand moving down and tugging her t-shirt up. She lifted her arms and he pulled it off, his mouth coming down to press kisses across her chest. Betty arched her back as his hands moved down and got busy undoing her jeans. He growled in frustration when he couldn’t seem to manage and she reached down to help him.

“That bikini was much easier to get off,” he muttered when he finally got her zipper down. She giggled, trying to help as he pulled the jeans down and off her legs, tossing them to the floor. He closed his eyes and sighed happily when he slid his hand up her leg. “Fuck, I missed your legs,” he groaned and she bit her lip and whimpered when his hand brushed between them, over her panties. She lifted her hips to his touch, gasping at the sensation.

“You’re wearing too much,” she gasped when he slipped his hand into the material, his fingers stroking over her. 

“Damn, you’re soaking wet,” he groaned, his fingers moving down and sliding inside her without any resistance. Betty gasped and clenched around his fingers, her body starving for his touch. 

“I want you,” she panted, fumbling with his pants and pushing to get them over his hips. Jughead helped her, quickly getting rid of the rest of his clothes, eager to have her. Her mouth was all warm and wet as she kissed him eagerly, pulling him up over her when he finally got his pants and boxers off. She flung her bra aside and he may have ripped her panties in his hurry to get them off but he didn’t care. Betty reached down and wrapped her hand around him, huge and hard as rock for her and she shivered with delight. He paused and reached into his toiletry bag that he was glad he had just put on the bedside table and pulled out a condom. Soon enough he was settling over her once again and she slid her hands over his chest.

“Now, don’t wait,” she gasped, lifting to him and spreading her legs wider and he slid over her once before thrusting inside her, and she cried out, arching her body into his.

“You okay?” he gasped, afraid he had hurt her.

“Yes, Jug, move,” she moaned, writhing under him. He started to move, his mouth kissing over her skin, lighting a fire everywhere it touched. He moved back up and took her mouth, his tongue sliding inside, stroking against hers and her hands slid into his hair, tugging on it as she kissed him back, her body moving with his as he thrust in and out, quickly, eagerly, deeply. It was frenzied and hurried, neither caring to make it slow and sensual, just desperate to feel and bring each other to release.

“You feel so good,” she groaned, grinding against him. Jughead suddenly flipped them and she was on top and she let out a gasp as he slid impossibly deep. “Oh my God,” she muttered, her head falling back as she rose and fell on him. He lifted up in a sitting position and took her mouth, his hands on her hips, helping her move, his mouth moving to her breast, his tongue licking over her nipple before he sucked her into his mouth. She felt the tension gather between her legs and started to shake. “Jug, touch me,” she gasped and he quickly reached between them, his own release already threatening to slam over him.

“Fuck, Betty,” he groaned. “You taste good,” he growled, biting into her collar bone as his fingers circled her clit.

“God, don’t stop Jug,” she panted as she felt the release slowly spread through her body. He took her mouth just as the tension snapped and she clenched hard on him, triggering his own release. 

“Fuck,” he groaned out as he fell back on the bed, thrusting up into her as he orgasmed. Betty’s body quaked around his, pulling everything from him. She lay on his chest, gasping for breath as he pressed up into her, his hands on her backside, pressing her to him. “Shit,” he groaned, trying to gain control of his senses. “That wasn’t how I planned it,” he gasped after a while.

“How did you plan it?” she asked shakily, her lips brushing his chest as she spoke.

“I was going to tell you how I wanted to be with you and you were going to happily say yes and then I was going spend the rest of the day slowly making love to you,” he sighed.

“Well, you basically had to convince me, then decided we weren’t going to have sex, but I was so hot for you from the moment I saw you, I just had to have you at least once and we ended up fucking like teenagers instead,” she mused. “It felt amazing,” she added with a smile.

“Well, I don’t think it counted. If we’re really going to abstain for a while, we need to do it right,” he insisted. “Nice and slow.” He rolled her to the side and moved to clean up and was soon back and pulling her into his arms. Betty cuddled into him, still reeling from all that had happened in the last hour. She sure hoped it wasn’t a dream and that he was really here.

“How did you know where I lived?” she asked softly.

“My sister found your address because she got tired of my moping around waiting for you to call me,” he said with a smile. Betty lifted her head and stared at him.

“Your sister?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“She’s fully aware that at some point she will be giving you a massive apology,” he said with a rueful grin. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t contact you,” she said quietly.

“It’s okay, Betty, I completely understand.”

“No, it wasn’t right. I should have at least contacted you to tell you that I wouldn’t be contacting you,” she sighed. “That sounded weird,” she laughed. “So, exactly how long are you here and how is this going to work and how exactly are you going to keep the press out of your personal life?”

“I’m here for 3 days and then unfortunately I have to be in L.A. for press for my upcoming premiere. As for how this will work? Well, we’ll have to talk about that and as soon as I’m done with the release of this movie, I’m just going to step away from Hollywood. Trust me, if I’m not working or doing Hollywood type crap, they will stop caring after a while and I’ll become a nobody,” Jughead explained.

“I seriously doubt you’ll become a nobody,” Betty said softly. He didn’t say anything and they lay quietly for a while.

“I want to ask you something,” he said quietly. He sounded unsure and she got nervous.

“Okay….” 

“I want you to go to my premiere with me.”

Betty sat up and stared at him in astonishment.

“What?” she gasped. 

“My premiere. It’s my last one since I’m stepping away and it’s going to be quite big and fancy because the movie was big and fancy and I would really love to go with you on my arm.”

“Jug, you can’t be serious,” she exclaimed, shaking her head. Jughead sat up quickly and grabbed her hand.

“Just hear me out,” he said quickly. She pulled away and grabbed the sheet and climbed off the bed, holding it to herself.

“No,” she said firmly, glaring at him. “I’m not going to a premiere with you. Are you insane? I would be all over the fucking media.”

“Yes, but…”

“But nothing! You do remember me saying I wanted nothing to do with that life, right?” She reminded him. Jughead got off the bed and pulled on his pants, leaving them undone and walking over to her and resting his hands on her shoulders.

“I know it sounds insane and I’m basically asking you to walk in front of the world with me, but it’s my last one and my sister told me it was going to be huge. Like fancy gowns and tuxedo huge and I just can’t think of anything better than going with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known on my arm. The premiere is in LA and I just really want you there with me.” Betty stared at him, clutching the sheet to her chest.

“Jughead, I can’t,” she insisted. “People will wonder who I am and they won’t stop digging until they find out. You don’t think people in Riverdale will recognize me and tell the press. There is no way I’m walking a red carpet with you.” 

“You know this is Hollywood. You’ll wear an amazing gown. I know people, we can do the hair and makeup to where someone would have to know you and really be looking hard to realize it’s you,” Jughead suggested.

“So you want me to look like someone else? What’s the point then?” she asked in confusion. 

“No, I just….it would still be you, they would just…..” Jughead stopped talking and sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Look, it was just an idea. I mean, I just figured I’d ask and hoped you’d say yes so I can treat you to a weekend Hollywood style, glitz and glamour, where your beauty, to me, would outshine anything they had to offer and I would have been so incredibly honored to escort you to something huge before I walk away from it all. I understand completely Betty and it’s okay. I just figures I’d ask,” he said with a small smile. “I’ll take my sister. She likes that crap,” he laughed as he settled back on the bed and leaned against the headboard.

Betty knew that he understood but she also saw the disappointment in his eyes and she instantly felt bad. He had already taken days to drive across the country to come see her, to make sure the press didn’t follow and he was doing everything he could to protect her from all that. He was choosing to walk away from Hollywood so he could have a normal life, not necessarily because he wanted to be with her but she knew it helped influence his decision and she wondered if maybe she could just give him this. She knew he would never do anything to jeopardize her privacy and she trusted him completely to keep her safe, so why was she so afraid?

“Jug,” she said softly, coming to sit beside him and resting a hand on his chest. “I just, it’s really hard for me to….”

“Betty stop,” Jughead interrupted, resting his hand on top of hers. “I completely understand. You’re right; your picture would be everywhere within hours and it’s a huge fucking risk and I feel like a jerk for even asking and putting you in the position to have to make a decision about that. I just had this idea of showering you with glamour for a weekend. I promise, I truly understand. Don’t feel bad, please?” he pleaded with her.

“But you’re disappointed,” she said sadly.

“Yes, but only because I don’t get to show you off,” he smiled, pulling her close she was sitting across his lap.

“Yes, well I’m still sorry for disappointing you,” she mumbled into his neck as she snuggled close.

“Betty, you not only have yourself to think about, but your children as well and if for any reason something happened where you and your girls were suddenly all over the news because of me, I would honestly never forgive myself. Please don’t worry about it. My reasons were purely selfish.” Betty pulled back and looked at him, touching his face and leaning in to kiss him.

“Do you want to meet them?” she asked softly. “You could come over tomorrow if you want.”

“Really?” he asked, his eyes brightening in excitement. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” she nodded.

“It’s not too fast?” he asked, worried. “I don’t want to confuse them.”

“I’ll just introduce you as my friend,” Betty smiled. “Also, my friend Veronica would love to properly meet you because she’s probably still trying to keep a stroke at bay that I had a fling with you,” she giggled. “She decided that for you to drive across the country, that you must really like me or that I’m astonishingly good in bed.” Jughead grinned and she let out a yell when he flipped her onto her back and pulled the sheet away from her. 

“Both,” he insisted with a wicked gleam in his eye. 

“Are we about to abstain from sex some more?” she teased, wrapping her legs around him. 

“Mmmmm, one more time, nice and slow,” he breathed against her chest and she drew in a shuddered breath when his tongue licked over her skin. Slow for Jughead meant the entire night and she wasn’t complaining in the least.

 

“Oh my God! I can’t believe this,” Veronica exclaimed as she flopped down on Betty’s couch. “My best friend is dating Jughead Jones.”

“Okay, it’s not dating exactly. He’s going back to California in a couple of days and we’re going to be texting and calling for like 5 weeks until after his movie premiere and seeing where this goes. We really need to see if this can be more than the amazing sex,” Betty explained, unable to keep the grin off her face.

“Ugh, I seriously hate you right now,” Veronica sighed.

“He asked me to go to his movie premiere,” Betty added slowly.

“Holy shit, really?” her friend squealed in excitement.

“I said no.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Honestly Veronica, the press there will be insane and my picture would be everywhere. I don’t want my life invaded,” Betty explained. 

“Okay, Betty, have you ever heard of contouring and makeup to change your features a little. You could strategically place the hair so maybe it’s over one eye or something. Certain makeup looks can completely change how you look. You’re fresh faced and rarely wear makeup and if you were in front of camaras completely made up Hollywood style, nobody in this stupid town would even know it’s you to even tell the press who it is and you’re completely unknown so there is no way gossip rags would figure it out. They would probably think you’re some model on Jughead’s arm,” Veronica insisted. 

“I don’t know….” Betty sighed.

“No, I won’t let you miss this opportunity. You’re doing it, if I have to drag your ass there myself,” Veronica said, and Betty bit her lip to keep from laughing when her friend actually stomped her foot in frustration.

“Okay, I’ll think about it but don’t say anything to Jughead because I need to decide first!”

“Cross my heart,” Veronica grinned.

Jughead showed up an hour later and Betty answered the door with a smile on her face. 

“Hey you,” she said happily and stepped aside to let him. He paused and was about the kiss her when he pulled back quickly when he remembered he was there as a friend. “The girls are in the back,” she whispered, and he grinned and leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. He was about to pull back when she grabbed his shirt and stopped him, kissing him again.

“My best friend is kissing Jughead Jones,” Veronica exclaimed as she came around the corner. They quickly sprang apart and Betty glared at her. 

“Seriously?” she sighed. “And stop calling him Jughead Jones.”

“Ummm, that’s his name,” Veronica laughed. Betty looked at Jughead and he just smiled and shrugged. He stepped closer to Veronica and offered his hand. 

“You’re sleeping with my best friend, I deserve at least a hug,” she insisted.

“Jesus Christ,” Betty muttered with a blush and Jughead just laughed and gave Veronica a hug. When he pulled back he looked around and turned to smile at Betty.

“I like your house,” he said softly. 

“Thank you,” Betty smiled. “Why don’t you have a seat on the couch? Would you like something to drink?” Before Jughead could answer, Sophie and Gracie came running from the back room, one chasing the other over a stolen toy. 

“Mama, Gracie stole my toy again,” Sophie yelled as she chased her twin around the kitchen island. Gracie grabbed onto Betty’s leg and screamed her outrage over the accusation and Betty sighed and then almost fell over when Sophie grabbed her other leg and the girls proceeded to yell at each other. She saw Jughead biting back a laugh as he watched and she glared at him. The girls seemed to notice him at the same time and both went silent as they clung to her legs.

“Mama, who’s that man?” Sophie asked, pressing her face into Betty’s jeans. Betty rested her hands on their head of curls and smiled down at them. 

“Girls, this is mommy’s friend, Jughead,” she explained. Sophie was less shy of the two girls and she stepped away from her and walked over to Jughead, tilting her head back to stare up at him.

“Jughead?” she asked, her face scrunched up in a confused frown. Jughead smiled and squatted down in front of her and brushed her nose with his finger. 

“Yeah, it’s a funny name, huh?” he asked with a chuckle. He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. “My real name is worse.” Gracie, not one to be left out, let go of Betty and ran over. 

“I want secret!” she demanded. Jughead grinned at her and leaned in to whisper in her ear as well. She was not so great at keeping secrets. She turned to Betty with wide eyes.

“His name is Force Peddle Joes!” She exclaimed. Betty raised an eyebrow and Jughead burst out laughing.

“Has your real name ever been published?” Veronica asked curiously. “I don’t recall ever hearing it.”

“I can tell you, but if I ever hear it in the press, I’ll sue,” Jughead laughed. “I’m pretty sure I’ve kept it pretty well hidden.”

“Spill,” she demanded.

“For God’s sake Veronica, Jughead you don’t have to say it if you don’t want to,” Betty insisted

“It’s Force Peddle Joes,” Gracie insisted. Betty and Veronica looked at her and then back to Jughead.

“Forsythe Pendleton Jones, the third,” he said with a wince.

“Holy shit,” Veronica laughed. “Stick with Jughead.”

“V, stop being rude!” Betty snapped. “But I agree,” she added, looking back at Jughead. He just laughed and turned back to the twins.

“You guys want to hear something fun?” he asked. They nodded eagerly, stepping closer to him. He pulled out a bag from his pocket and looked at Betty with a questioning look and she nodded. “Do you know what these are?”

“Candy!” they yelled.

“What kind?”

“Jellybeans!”

“That’s right and you know what else? My sister’s name is Jellybean,” he informed them with a grin.

“Your sister is a candy?” Gracie asked in awe.

“She sure is,” he insisted. 

“Can we see?” Sophie asked shyly. Jughead pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture of his sister and the girls stared at it.

“Mama, she pretty,” Gracie informed Betty.

“Yes she is,” Betty agreed. Jughead winked at her and she smiled, her heart warm as she watched her children interact with him. Gracie grabbed him by the hand and led him to the couch and they sat on either side of him and plied him with questions about his candy sister, Sophie insisting that this sister must be a princess because only a princess could be candy. Jughead laughed and answered every question they threw at him, showing them more pictures of Jellybean in a gown and then they gasped in excitement because now there was proof she was a princess.

“You okay?” Veronica asked with a soft smile, as Betty wiped the corner of her eyes, as they stung with tears. She managed a nod, almost not believing how quickly her kids had taken to Jughead. “He’s great with them,” V observed. She nodded again and went to the kitchen to make some lemonade. “He looks completely at home and relaxed,” Veronica added. “I can see why he craves normal. It suits him.”

“Could this really work Veronica?” she asked softly, her heart racing at the possibility that this may be exactly what Jughead thought it could be; amazing. 

“If he really is stepping away from the limelight, it would absolutely work Betty. In fact, it would even work in the limelight because he’s clearly gone for you. But I know that wouldn’t make you happy to live like that, so the fact that he doesn’t want to either and wants to build something with you, I strongly suggest you hang on to this and let it grow because I agree with him. You guys could be amazing,” Veronica insisted. Betty took a shaky breath and put her hand across her stomach in an attempt to calm her butterflies. 

“I really want this, V. He’s so great and he’s obviously great with kids. I want this to work so bad, and it terrifies me. I’m terrified it won’t work,” Betty said, her eyes filling with panicked tears.

“Hey, hey, stop it,” Veronica said softly, grabbing her arms and forcing Betty to look at her. “Just get out of your head, stop worrying and just let it grow. I know you guys only have like 10 days worth of foundation and most of it was between the sheets, but he’s here, he wants to try and the guy has heart eyes for your little girls right now. Sometimes you can just tell these things right from the beginning. I have a good feeling sweetie, so just relax and enjoy it.” Betty nodded and smiled and took a deep cleansing breath and grabbed some glasses for the lemonade.

“Mama,” Sophie called out. “Can Jughead see our room?” Betty looked over in surprise. 

“No sweetie. You just met him and it’s not proper for him to see your room just yet. Maybe some other time.” Jughead smiled and winked at her and she shook her head in exasperation.

“But I want to show him my toy Jeep,” the little girl insisted.

“Well, why don’t you go bring it?” Betty suggested. She raced to do just that and her sister followed because heaven forbid she should be outdone. She would bring hers as well. Betty brought Jughead a glass of lemonade and sat down beside him on the couch.

“They’re amazing, Betty. Just like their mother,” he said, a warm glint in his eyes. 

“You say that now, just wait till you’re so tired you’ll wish they had an _off_ button,” she said with a laugh.

“Can’t be any more tiring than a 15 hour day on set,” he said with a shrug.

“Yes, but this is all day, every day. There is no break,” she said, like she was trying to make him understand what it was he was wanting to walk into. Jughead just smiled and took her hand. 

“They’re amazing Betty,” he said again, the smile in his eyes. “They aren’t scaring me off.” She nodded and returned his smile, wondering how someone could be so wonderful.

“Are you sure?” she asked in a whisper, one more time, as if giving him a chance to run. His answer was a soft kiss that she thought was over much too fast.

“You guys are making me swoon,” Veronica sighed as she sat in the chair. The girls came running right then, both carrying their matching green jeeps and held them up in excitement for Jughead to see. 

“Wow,” he exclaimed, looking at the toys. “What would you do if I told you that I had a jeep just like this?”

“You do?” they asked simultaneously, their mouths agape in surprise. “Can we have a ride in it?” Gracie asked excitedly.

“Absolutely,” he assured them. “I’ll bring it by one day and we’ll go for a drive.” The girls squealed in excitement and Betty laughed at their antics. In only an hour, Jughead had managed to win over her twins, much like he had done with her once she gave him the chance. She really had no idea how he wasn’t settled down yet with a family of his own. He looked so completely relaxed and present with the girls that his whole celebrity completely faded away. He was simply Jughead, an amazing and wonderfully sweet man that she met and was very quickly falling for.

 

Jughead stayed the rest of the day and evening. When he had a break from the girls, Veronica asked question after question, getting to the bottom of gossip and he graciously answered them all. He never once looked uncomfortable and Betty became more and more sure that her decision to see where this could go was the right one. V left after a simple dinner of pasta and salad, the Jughead raved over and then soon enough, Betty put the girls to sleep and when she came back out to the living room, Jughead was relaxing on the couch, surfing channels on the TV. She paused and watched him and it was astonishing to her how he sat there, relaxed and content as if he had always been there. He glanced up and saw her standing there and smiled.

“Hey you,” he said softly. Betty walked over and he took her hand and pulled her down onto his lap and she cuddled into him.

“My girls love you,” she informed him with a smile. “You scored major points with that promise of a ride in your jeep. Do you really have one?”

“I honestly do and it looks just like the ones they have,” he said with a chuckle.

“You had a good time?” she asked softly. He stroked her hair and cupped her face, moving her head back so he could look at her.

“I really did,” he said honestly. “Seriously the most fun I’ve had in a good while.” Betty ran her fingertips along his jaw and he leaned in and kissed her. A slow lazy kiss that was exactly the kind that one would have while relaxing on the couch after a good fun filled family day. When his tongue stroked against her lips, she opened for him and whimpered softly when it slid against hers. It didn’t take long and he was moving against her and she was straddling his lap, holding his face while she kissed him eagerly and thoroughly.

“I should head back to the inn,” he said hoarsely when they pulled apart for air, her forehead resting on his. His arms were wrapped tightly around her and her hands were buried in his hair.

“Okay,” she sighed before giving him another thorough kiss. 

“Before I carry you to your bedroom,” he groaned when he pulled away. She smiled against his mouth and slowly untangled herself from his arms and stood up, pulling him up. He wrapped his arms around her again and lifted her as he walked to the door and she bit her lip as he grinned at her. 

“Why are you so cute?” she asked, sounding slightly breathless. The way he was looking at her made her wish he _would_ carry her to her bedroom. 

“I do it on purpose, just for you. I’m usually a troll,” he teased. She kissed him in reply and soon found herself pressed against the door, her legs wrapped around him. “I have no sense of control around you,” he sighed when he managed to tear his mouth from hers.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked as he slowly lowered her to the floor.

“Absolutely,” he replied and then kissed her one more time before letting himself out of the house. Betty closed the door and leaned against it, a happy grin on her face.

 

Jughead spent the next two days with her and the twins, getting a crash course in life with two hyper little girls and Betty realized that he loved every minute of it. Her girls loved him and he doted on them as if he had known them his entire life with games, reading time, piggy back rides and just about anything they wanted to do or play. 

All too soon, it was his last evening with them before he drove to New York to get on a plane and fly back home and they stood in her living room, arms wrapped around each other. 

“How long till I see you again?” she asked in a whisper, trying not to cry that he was leaving. 

“Five weeks,” he sighed. “But this time, we’ll call and text and video chat. No more radio silence and it will be much easier. Once all this crap with my movie is done, I have all the time in the world and we’ll figure out where we go from there.” 

“I promise to call this time,” she smiled. 

“Well, I have your number now, so I’ll be able to harass you,” he chuckled. He kissed her and by the time he pulled away she was trembling with need. 

“Jug?” she whispered.

“Hmmm?”

“If we’re apart for five weeks, and we aren’t even near each other to do anything and we’re just getting to know each other long distance, then maybe, we could just…..” She looked up at him, saw his eyes dark and filled with want, her own wide and hungry and he needed no convincing as he swept her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom.

 

A couple of hours later, she tearfully kissed him goodbye and watched him head to his rental and leave her behind for five weeks. When she couldn’t see his tail lights anymore she pulled out the piece of paper she had in her pocket and looked at the phone number written on it. She felt sneaky and a little bad for doing it, but when he had gone to the bathroom and left his phone open and laying on her bed, she had hurriedly gone through his contacts and found his sister’s number and written it down. Betty grabbed her phone and taking a deep and brave breath, she dialed the number and prayed that she answered.

“Hello?” When Jellybean Jones answered the phone on the third ring Betty got so nervous she almost forgot to speak. “Hello? Is anyone there?” the woman asked.

“Umm, yes, sorry. I…this is Betty Cooper, are you Jughead’s sister?” she asked quickly. There was a pause on the other end.

“Yes, this is JB. Is he alright?” the woman asked in surprise.

“Yes, yes, he’s fine. He’s great actually. He just left my place and I kind of stole your number from his phone,” Betty explained, wincing at how idiotic she sounded.

“May I ask why?”

“I…well, I need your help,” Betty said shakily and there was another pause and she was afraid the woman was going to hang up.

“Okay…..” Jughead's sister said slowly. “How can I help you?”

“I want to do something for Jughead and i’m not sure how to go about it,” Betty said after a moment.

“Alright Betty, what do you need?”


	10. Hollywood Heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea if the Four Seasons in LA has an underground parking garage, but in this story it does :)

Betty was so nervous, she honestly felt like she was going to throw up. It had been 5 weeks since she had seen Jughead, not counting video chat of course, and now she was on a flight to L.A. to see him and he had no idea. When he had initially asked her to go to his premiere, it had been an emphatic no, but as she had watched him while he spent time with her girls, how wonderful and sweet he was the entire time he was with them all, she had changed her mind. He took such care to make sure he wasn’t followed to Riverdale and then he had spent hours entertaining the twins and she decided to do this for him.

Jellybean had been surprised when Betty told her the reason for calling but hopped on board right away. She had said something about _owing_ Betty. The woman certainly had made quick work of the plans. Within half an hour she had all the info she needed from Betty and had told her that she would keep in touch with the final plans. When she had asked for her measurements, Betty had insisted that she had lovely gowns and Jellybean had simply informed her that this was Hollywood and it was either go big or go home and had simply asked Betty to trust her. When Jellybean had asked how comfortable Betty was showing some skin, she had been nervous but decided in the end to trust Jughead’s sister and let her make the plans. 

Now she was on a flight, first class, and Jellybean had told Betty to leave her wallet at home. Of course she wasn’t going to do that, but it was clear that she wasn’t going to be paying for a thing and Betty wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but it was useless to argue and JB had informed her that Jughead would foot the bill and had added that he had more money than he knew what to do with anyway. This of course made Betty uncomfortable and she insisted that she was in no way trying to take advantage of him and his money and his sister had just laughed.

“Honey, if you and my brother decided to give this relationship a go, I hope you know he’s going to spoil you. Hell, he’d find a way to spoil you even if he didn’t have money. I strongly suggest you don’t argue with him because he will treat you like a queen,” she had said. Betty had conceded, grudgingly. Jughead hadn’t mentioned the premiere again and had accepted her answer that she didn’t want to go as her final decision and she knew that he respected her decision but he had been disappointed and she was excited to do this for him.

A few days ago when Jellybean had called and given her her flight info, and all the other plans, Betty had almost fainted. She was flying first class. A luxury town car would be picking her up and bringing her to her hotel. The Four Seasons. The Luxury suite at The Four Seasons. Betty of course had googled and had immediately called Veronica, freaking out.

“V, I’m staying from Friday night until Monday. It’s more than a thousand dollars a night. I can’t even wrap my brain around this. I feel very uncomfortable,” she had said in a panic. Veronica, of course, was used to luxury and had told her to calm down, stop freaking out and for once in her life, let nice things happen to her.

“You’re dating a movie star for God’s sake. Did you think you would be put you up at a Motel 6?” It had taken a good hour, but Betty finally relaxed and realized that being in a relationship with Jughead wouldn’t be regular, even if he was longing for normal. Normal as a millionaire, was not the same normal as when you had only a couple of thousand dollars in the bank. While she cringed when her vehicle needed to get fixed, he wouldn’t bat an eye and she would have to get used to it.

Things with Jughead were amazing. She had gotten her first text only 10 minutes after he left saying he missed her and for the last 5 weeks it was nonstop texting all day and phone calls all evening after the girls were in bed. They saved the video chats for the weekend as a kind of treat because they were dorks and it made her feel like a teenager, waiting in excitement for a weekend date. She swore he got hotter every time she saw him on the screen. She had told him as much and he would only laugh, not realizing that his laugh and grin only made him go from hot to scorching. She had sighed one time and asked why the hell he was interested in her when he could literally have anyone. He had asked her if she owned a mirror and why she didn’t realize how beautiful she was. 

Of course it wasn’t all shallow. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him. She realized very quickly that he was insecure when it came to women, why, she couldn’t figure out but she guessed when someone got royally screwed over like he had by his ex, the first person he said he’d loved, it could fuck with someone’s self-esteem. She made sure to always tell him how wonderful he was. He did the same with her.

When Jughead had told her what Sabrina had done to get their pictures in the press, Betty’s dislike for the woman had increased tenfold. She would never understand how someone could have so little disregard for a person’s feelings that they would just use them for their own selfish gain. 

She learned all about his childhood growing up in Toledo and moving to New York after highschool with his best friend and Sabrina and how he’d gotten discovered for modeling while he himself was taking pictures for a minor photoshoot for a university project. The acting jobs had quickly followed. He told her it had all happened so fast, he never got his chance to wrap his head around it and while he had desperately tried to keep himself grounded, the first few years had swept him in the glitz and glamour and he said if it hadn’t been for his sister, he would have probably ended up with a drinking or drug problem to cope with the pressure. Sabrina had been too caught up in getting herself ahead that she hadn’t noticed how much he actually hated the spotlight.

Betty understood Jellybean better after that and her reaction to finding her in Jughead’s chalet at the resort. While Jughead was a grown man, capable of making his own decisions, she still worried and tried to keep people from taking advantage of him. Apparently his threatening to fire her had finally gotten her to back off him a little. But JB was extremely protective of her brother, that much was clear. 

Betty of course had shared her life as well. Growing up with a mother who expected perfection and how angry she had been when Betty had gotten pregnant. She had mellowed once the twins arrived and while Betty didn’t ask her for much help, she was a doting grandmother but she didn’t have that great a relationship with her to trust her with the info that she was involved with Jughead just yet.

They had talked for hours on end, and were getting to know each other on a deep and personal level that sometimes can’t be reached for a while when you were in close proximity with someone. It was also a lot easier to share things via text and phone call then when you had to look someone in the eye. She got to know all the little things this way, what he loved, what he hated, what he still wanted to try or discover. She had told him some of her childhood dreams and he had promised to try making some of them come true. Like visiting Paris and Italy and Betty let herself dream that it could actually happen.

Of course, with all the talking and texting had been copious amounts of flirting and Betty ached for him already. A few times they had almost strayed into phone sex and sexting but they had managed to refrain, determined to put that aside until they at least saw each other again, because they both knew there wasn’t going to be any abstaining once they were together again. His voice in her ear when they were on the phone every night did things to her that had her hands roaming when they hung up and when they were video chatting, the way he looked at her. No, they wouldn’t be holding back.

The announcement came that they were going to be landing soon and Betty’s nerves went into overdrive. She was so incredibly excited to see Jughead and at the same time so nervous to meet his sister, again, although it would be much friendlier this time. She was terrified about the premiere but Jellybean had repeatedly assured her that nobody would know who she was. 

Once she landed and had collected her bags, Betty made her way to where people were holding signs and saw her name right away and walked over to the man holding it.

“I’m Betty Cooper,” she said with a smile and the man lowered the sign and smiled.

“Right this way, miss,” he said, offering with his hand to take her bag. He led her outside where a car was waiting for her and once she was settled and they got moving, she took a few deep breaths to calm down. She couldn’t even concentrate on looking at the city as they drove, her nerves getting the best of her. She grabbed her phone and sent Jughead a text. She knew he was doing press all day to get ready for the premiere the next day but he had become her calm over the last few weeks.

_Betty: Hey you, you have a minute?_

He replied almost immediately.

Jughead: For you, always :) what’s up?

_Betty: I’m having a bit of a tough day and you always make me feel better._

Betty jumped when her phone rang and she smiled. He always did that. Now to keep him from finding out she was so close to him.

“Hi,” she spoke softly when she answered the call.

“Hey Betts, you doing okay?” he asked, his husky voice instantly calming her.

“Yeah, I’m just anxious about some things, but your voice always makes me feel better,” she said smiling.

“Anything I can help with?” he asked gently.

“The only thing that will help is seeing you, so as soon as you can manage that…” she said with a chuckle.

“As soon as I can get a flight out of here after the premiere, I promise. I can’t wait to put my arms around you again, God, I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Jug,” Betty sighed and bit her lip when she felt tears sting her eyes. She really did miss him so much. The talking and texting was wonderful and they had gotten to know each other so well, but now she just wanted to be wrapped in his arms.

“How are the girls?” 

“They’re good,” Betty smiled. “Spending the weekend with Aunt V.” 

“Ahhh, so mommy gets a break?” he asked softly.

“Yes, a much needed one.” 

“Listen, they’re asking for me, are you going to be okay?” he asked. “I can get them to wait.”

“I’m okay. Thank you for calling and I’ll see you soon,” Betty said, feeling more calm than she had felt earlier. 

“Bye hon,” he said softly and ended the call. Her heart warmed at the endearment. He had started calling her that a week earlier and she blushed every time he did it. 

The car arrived at the hotel and the door was opened for her and she stood for a moment, looking at it in awe. She felt so ridiculously out of her league, that she almost started to laugh. The driver got her bags for her and a hotel employee was immediately at her side, helping her inside. 

Betty tried not to look like a bum wandering in off the street, but the decadence of the hotel had her wanting to disappear inside of herself and she suddenly wished she had at least put on a blouse with her jeans instead of just a t-shirt. Everywhere she looked oozed money and luxury and she had to work hard to keep from panicking again. She hurried over to the desk and was greeted with a friendly smile.

“Umm, hi,” she said with a shaky smile. “I’m Betty Cooper, and I believe there is a reservation for me?” The woman checked her computer and smiled and nodded.

“Yes, ma’am, a luxury suite on the top floor,” she informed Betty and soon she was signing papers and being handed her room key. “You can go right up miss, someone will bring your things shortly.” Betty nodded and headed to the elevator. Even the elevator was rich, with its very own attendant. She wondered briefly why anybody would need someone to press their floor button for them. She arrived in short order and soon found herself outside the door of the luxury suite. The man with her luggage was right behind her and gently took the key from her hand to open the door when her hand shook too much to unlock it.

He stepped back and she walked in and was rendered speechless. She had googled the room she would be staying in, so she was aware of how large it was, but pictures didn’t do it justice. It was spectacular. It was done in blues and whites and there was a calm and peaceful ambiance to it that she could feel. It smelled amazing as well, as there were fresh flowers seemingly everywhere. Her bags were placed in the living area and Betty tipped the gentleman and was soon left all alone and she just stood there for a moment, trying to get a grip on herself.

After a few moments she wandered around slowly and took in the living area, the massive bedroom with a spectacular marble ensuite, another bathroom near the front door and of course, the balconies that she could access from the bedroom and living room. She stepped out and gazed over the city view and smiled. The weather was beautiful, the city was beautiful, her room was beautiful. She had never felt so amazing in her whole life. Amazing and anxious. She was tempted to text Jughead and tell him she was here and have him come to her, but she managed to refrain.

Walking back into the suite, she walked over to the coffee table to admire the large bouquet of lilies and roses and noticed there was a note tucked into them. She grabbed it and opened it and found a message from Jellybean.

_Betty,_  
_Please make yourself at home. Take advantage of the room service, have a good long soak in the tub and get plenty of rest because you will get very little tomorrow night. I will arrive at 10am with the glam squad and we’ll get you ready for the premiere. I am looking forward to officially meeting you._  
_Jellybean Jones._

Betty smiled and put the note down and bent to smell the flowers. They smelled amazing of course and she went and grabbed her bags and brought them into the bedroom. The room was as large as her bedroom at home, with the bathroom and the girls room added in for good measure. She wandered into the bathroom and was once again astonished by the luxury. The counter held many different soaps and lotions and perfumes and these weren’t the usual tiny plastic bottles you’d find at a regular hotel. They were full size, luxury brands and everything smelled divine. She really hadn’t needed to pack toiletries. The bathroom had everything.

Betty was exhausted. She was too nervous to eat and she hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night and the flight had been long and tiring and while a bath sounded amazing, so did sleep. She decided she would soak in the morning before her day of primping and undressed and slipped into bed wearing only panties because the satin sheets and silky comforter felt so amazing against her skin, she didn’t want to ruin it with sleepwear. She settled in and made sure she would be able to chat without giving away where she was and video called Jughead. He answered almost immediately and she sighed when she saw he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“Hey hot stuff,” she teased and he grinned at her in response, laying back on his pillows. Seems Jughead was in bed as well. “So, getting ready for your big day tomorrow?”

“Yeah, need to get some good sleep. I want to get it over with so I can come see you,” he said with a sigh.

“Well, if it’s your last big premiere, then you should enjoy it,” Betty insisted.

“Yes, well, I miss you and it would….” His voice trailed off and he looked a little sheepish and Betty smiled gently.

“You wish I was there,” she said softly and he shrugged. “I’m sorry Jughead.”

“It’s alright, I understand and I get to see you soon, so that makes everything wonderful,” he insisted. “So, what are you wearing?” he asked, tucking his hand behind his head. Betty laughed at his quick subject change and the direction of his thoughts.

“Well, if you must know, I’m wearing only panties,” she said, her voice husky and low and Jughead groaned.

“Are you trying to kill me?” he asked. “I don’t believe you and I think you have to show me,” he teased. They had done this before and Betty had never given him what he wanted but this time she was feeling naughty and she moved the blanket and made sure her panty clad body was on full display for a moment. “Well, fuck,” Jughead said raggedly, having not expected that.

“Consider it a premiere gift,” she giggled as she brought the camera back to her face. He spent a good minute just looking at her and she shivered at his look. “What?” she whispered.

“You’re so beautiful, Betty. I could look at your face all day. In fact, I do look at your face all day,” he admitted with a rueful laugh. She blushed and felt an all too familiar ache spread through her body and she clenched her thighs together.

“I can’t wait to see you and be in your arms again,” she admitted, touching the screen. 

“You have no idea,” he sighed. They talked for a while longer until Betty couldn’t stop yawning and they reluctantly said goodbye. Once she disconnected the call and burrowed down in the amazingly comfortable bed, Betty was a sleep in minutes.

 

Betty woke the next morning just before 7:00 and ordered herself a breakfast of eggs benedict and fruit. Hollywood premiere or not, she was hungry despite her nerves and she needed to eat because she had a feeling she wouldn’t have much for the rest of the day. Once she was finished what she had to admit was the best tasting benedict she had ever had, she went and drew herself a bath. She sank into the bubbles and let out a happy sigh. Her phone dinged and she grabbed it and smiled when she saw the text.

_Jughead: Good morning beautiful ;)_

Betty: hi handsome :) What are you up to this early?

_Jughead: Just getting ready to go play a round of golf with a couple of my co-stars before getting ready for this thing. Jellybean is my date and I’m picking her up at the Four Seasons, I think she said._

Betty smiled and felt a flutter of excitement that he would be finding her later when he was expecting his sister.

Betty: Make sure you take pictures, I’m sure you both will be gorgeous!

_Jughead: will do :) I just wanted to get a ‘hello’ in before I head out._

Betty: Well, you have fun and win the game for me ;)

_Jughead: I’ll do my best babe ;)_

Betty: Babe? :)

_Jughead: Just something I’m trying ;)_

Betty: Well, I like it. Have a wonderful day and keep me posted.

_Jughead: Talk to you later xoxo_

Betty soaked for a good hour before she got out and pulled on some panties and a robe. She wandered around, quite literally inspecting and ogling every corner of the luxury suite and at precisely 10am, there was a knock at the door. She felt her heart race with a little anxiety and wiped her sweaty palms on the robe and went to open it. 

There she stood. Jellybean Jones. The last time Betty had been face to face with the woman she had called her a trashy tramp and while things were fine now, she had to admit, she was slightly terrified of the woman. She was beautiful and looked just like Jughead, the resemblance seriously uncanny. 

“Hi,” Betty said softly, stepping back to allow her in. JB walked into the suite and Betty closed the door as there was nobody else with her.

“I asked the glam squad to come at 10:30 because I wanted to talk to you first,” the woman said, putting her bag down on the coffee table, next to the flowers she had delivered. “I trust the room is to your liking?”

“Oh God, yes!” Betty exclaimed. “It’s almost too much. Makes me a little anxious,” she admitted.

“Why do you say that?” 

“I’m just not used to anything so luxurious is all,” Betty explained with a smile. Jellybean smiled gently and surprised Betty by taking her hand and leading her to the couch where they sat down, facing each other.

“I owe you a massive apology,” Jellybean said with a wince. “I am so sorry for how I treated you at the resort and I am so sorry for hurting you with the shit that came out of my mouth.” Betty opened her mouth to say something and JB shook her head and held up her hand. “Please, let me get this said.”

“Okay,” Betty said softly. 

“You see, I’ve been taking care of Jughead ever since he got into this business and despite all my best efforts, I was oblivious to the crap that Sabrina was pulling and I couldn’t see that my brother was drowning in misery. He isn’t one to just hook up with women for a night and that should have been a clue to me when I found you in his chalet. He had been lonely for a long time and he saw something in you that made him happy and I had no right to shit all over it. Now granted, at the time you two were just having a fling, but that’s beside the point, I was very rude and I truly am sorry. I just want you to know, that the last five weeks, my brother has been the happiest I have ever seen him. Ever. He smiles all the live long day and he’s married to his phone, obviously because you’re on the other end of the endless texting and phone calls. I’m not going to pretend that I understand why you guys connected so quickly and so deeply, but he’s happy and I don’t ever want to do anything to jeopardize that. It’s very obvious that you’re not some woman trying to take advantage of him and if you two are moving forward in this relationship and it works out for you, then I support you 100%!”

“Wow,” Betty breathed. “That was…”

“A lot? Yeah, I tend to do that,” Jellybean laughed.

“Thank you for your support and for your apology. I appreciate it very much,” Betty smiled.

“I’m forgiven then?”

“Completely.” Betty leaned over and gave the woman a hug, which was immediately returned.

“Jughead told me you were very sweet,” JB said as she pulled back. “Seems he was right.” Betty flushed and smiled in response. “So, you really like my brother, huh?”

“I do,” Betty said softly, her blush getting more red. “He’s so great and not at all like the media makes him out to be.”

“Yeah, the gossip about my brother over the years has been ridiculous. Not necessarily cruel, but he certainly doesn’t sleep with every girl that crosses his path,” Jellybean scoffed.

“Yeah, it was nice to see that he was so normal and down to earth. Plus, my girls love him, so that’s a plus,” Betty said with a laugh. “He was so wonderful with them and believe me, they can be a lot to handle.”

“He talked about them a lot when he came home from his visit. He’s as smitten with them as he is with you,” Jellybean said with a smile. Betty’s heart warmed and squeezed at that. She was starting to believe that Jughead might be right. They could really be amazing together.

 

The glam squad, as Jellybean called them, arrived a few minutes later and Betty was amazed at the amount of people and stuff came into the room. Jughead’s sister laughed at the incredulous look on Betty’s face as she took in everything.

“Like I said, Betty, here we go big or we go home,” she said with a wink. The first thing on the menu of a day of delightful pampering was a massage. “Alright ladies, this is a tired mother of two beautiful twin girls and she needs to relax, so let’s get to it,” Jellybean said with a clap of her hands and before she knew what was happening, Betty was on a fold out bed, with two pairs of hands working out tight muscles and bringing a feeling of bliss over her. After the massage was done, she got a manicure and when it was done, her nails were a dark red in color. It was a surprising contrast on her pale skin. She wondered at that point what the gown looked like, as Jellybean told her she wasn’t allowed to peek until she was ready to get into it.

The make-up came next. Betty had never seen so many products in her whole life. Jellybean kept up a constant chatter of what the evening would entail and Betty got more nervous as the day went on. There would be parties after the premiere and Jughead would need to make an appearance at at least one of them and she would let him decide which one. Betty watched in the mirror as her face literally transformed and she was a little awestruck. Under the direction of JB, they went for a dark makeup look. Dark red lips, smoky eyes, contouring that gave her incredible cheekbones. She looked in the mirror and was amazed at how she still looked like herself but completely different. If someone who knew her wasn’t paying close attention, they would never know and she hoped that would be the case when her picture was spread all over.

Jughead text sporadically during the day and it helped calm her nerves as they worked on her. He had won the golf game and she grinned at the video he sent that someone had taken of him doing a little victory dance and giggled when he sent her a kiss picture. Jellybean just smiled as she observed the happy that overtook Betty whenever Jughead text.

After the make up was done, they got to work on her hair. It took an hour and Betty had no idea what they were doing but when they were finished, it shone like it never had before and was pulled over one shoulder and almost covering one eye. She looked in the mirror and barely recognized herself.

“See?” Jellybean said with a grin. “Who’s ever going to know it’s you?”

“I barely know it’s me,” Betty said nervously. JB took her hands and gave her a squeeze. 

“You look amazing Betty. Yes, it’s not your usual look and something you’d probably never do, but you don’t normally go to an event like this either and this is the best way I knew how to make sure you wouldn’t be so easily recognized. Besides, this look will really go with the dress.”

“Speaking of dress, can I see it now?” Betty asked in excitement. 

“First, get into the lingerie,” Jellybean said with a smile and handed her a nude thong. Betty looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

“Um, where’s the rest of it?” she asked in surprise.

“There is no rest of it. Trust me, just put it on.”

“You keep saying to trust you and I’m just getting more paranoid,” Betty sighed as she headed for the bathroom to switch from her plain panties to the tiny piece of fabric. If Jughead thought the bikini was bad, this was ridiculous. When she was finished, she adjusted her robe and came back out and promptly froze at the dress that Jellybean was holding up.

“Are you kidding?” Betty gasped. “I can’t wear that!” Jellybean was literally holding up a long piece of see through red lace. Betty could see right through the dress and she shook her head. “I’m going to be naked.”

“Trust me,” Jellybean said with a smile. “Everything important will be covered, I promise. Also, this dress will get all the attention and people probably won’t care about who’s wearing it and will just want to know who designed it.”

“And who designed it?”

“Jean Paul Gaultier,” JB said with a grin. Of course, a designer known for some pretty out there designs. “Just try it and if you really do hate it, we have a back up, but I think this will looking amazing on you. You have the perfect figure for it. Tall with nice curves. Plus, Jughead may just die when he sees you in this.”

“Well, I don’t want that,” Betty frowned.

“I meant that in a good way,” JB laughed. Betty sighed and walked over to finger the lace. It felt rich and silky and she did want to try, just to say she had. “Jughead will be here in an hour and we need you looking like you belong in this town and we’re almost there.”

“How do I get into this?” Betty asked as she took her robe off. JB motioned for one of the other women to come help and they lifted the dress up and she held up her arms and it simply draped over her, held up by the lace straps that hugged her shoulders. There were no buttons or zippers, her body held it up and it simply draped down and lay against her skin. Jellybean stood back and her eyes went wide.

“Holy shit,” she breathed. Betty turned and looked in the mirror that stood in the corner and forgot to breathe for a moment. It was like she had assumed, see through, with lace strategically placed to cover all the areas that she wanted covered and she had to admit, it looked stunning. It came down in a deep V almost to her bellybutton and her back was completely bare as the lace began at her waist and draped over her backside. Her breasts were covered but she had a real fear that she may fall out of the dress as she pulled at the lace to pull it to the side a little more. “Double sided tape,” Jellybean said, realizing her concern.

“I look naked,” Betty sighed. “Not completely, but I really look naked.”

“You look like walking sin, I swear to God,” Jellybean said in excitement. 

“I don’t know,” Betty worried nervously, turning to see from different angles. The dress gathered in a pool on the floor and she realized she would have to be careful to not trip.

“Jewelry,” JB snapped her fingers and some velvet boxes were hurried over to her. She opened one large box and Betty gasped at the jewels twinkling up at her. JB picked up the strand and fastened it around her neck and Betty touched her fingers gingerly to it. It was a delicate black and red necklace that hung down between her breasts, almost to where the V of the dress ended. Diamonds and rubies sparkled on the black chain and suddenly there were chandelier earrings of the same design hanging from her ears and a matching bracelet hanging from her wrist. Betty gazed at herself in the mirror and was blown away. Jellybean was right, there was no way anybody would know who she is. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears and she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling.

“This is unbelievable,” she breathed. As naked as she felt, she also felt amazing.

“So, what do you think? Is this the look? We keeping the dress?” JB asked, holding her breath. Betty grinned and nodded.

“Why the hell not,” she said with a laugh. “It’s once in a lifetime, right?”

“Yay!!” Jellybean yelled, clapping her hands. “Oh my god, Jughead is going to die.”

“Is he going to be able to touch me without wrecking something?” Betty wondered nervously.

“Yes, the dress, as delicate as it looks is not going to break. We’ll tape you in and he’ll be able to hug and hold you if he wants to,” Jellybean assured her. She took her hands and gave them a squeeze. “Enjoy the whole process Betty. Tonight, you belong in Hollywood.” Betty nodded and tried desperately to calm her nerves. She couldn’t wait to see Jughead, knowing he would help calm her fears. 

“Are there shoes?” she asked suddenly, realizing she was still barefoot. JB grinned and presented her with a stunning pair of designer high heeled sandals. The next few minutes were spent getting into the shoes and placing tape in places so she wouldn’t flash the world with more than she wanted to flash. Now, all she had to do was wait for Jughead.

 

Jughead walked quickly through the lobby of the hotel, glancing at the time and wincing. Jellybean was going to kill him. He was half an hour late and even though it wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, she didn’t like it when people were late and this was a big deal to her. His golf game had turned into two and he’d gotten a little sweaty in the afternoon heat and had run home to take a shower. JB had his suit, or whatever the hell he would be wearing and all he had to do was change and one of her minions would fix his hair and he’d be ready. That was like, 10 minutes, tops, he figured.

He had no idea why she was holed up at the Four Seasons in a luxury suite because they could have just as easily gotten ready at his place, but he figured she had her reasons. He got to the room and knocked and someone he figured was helping her get ready opened it and he walked in, coming to a stop when he saw his sister, standing there in jeans and a tshirt.

“What the hell JB, why aren’t you dressed? I know I’m late but my shit only takes like 10 minutes.”

“I’m not going,” she said with a smile. Jughead glared at her.

“What do you mean, you’re not going? If you’re not going, then I’m not going!” he snapped. Jellybean rolled her eyes and sighed.

“You’re always so fucking dramatic. I’m not going because she is going to be your date,” she informed him, motioning behind him. Jughead turned and quite honestly, felt like his heart stopped. His hand went to his chest because he fully expected to have chest pains from his heart coming to a standstill.

“Holy fuck,” he whispered, unable to believe his eyes. Betty smiled nervously at him and he had a hard time taking a breath as his eyes raked down the entire length of her. He desperately willed his body not to react as his sister was there and it was the hardest he’d ever worked in his life. His eyes flew back to her face and he could still hardly believe what he was seeing. It wasn’t her usual look, obviously, but she looked fucking sensational and he suddenly wished everyone would disappear so he could be alone with her. He walked over and framed her face in his hands, which he noticed were shaking a little. Her dark eye makeup made her green eyes shine more green than he remembered them being.

“How are you here?” he whispered, resting his forehead to hers. “God, you smell good,” he added with a sigh.

“I flew in yesterday,” Betty said, her hands coming up to wrap around his wrists.

“So when we were video chatting and you showed me yourself all, you know….you were like 30 minutes away from me?” he whispered heatedly, his eyes glaring a little. Betty giggled and nodded.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered back. “I wanted to tell you so bad, but I wanted to surprise you.” Jughead pulled his head back and searched her face.

“I don’t understand how and why you’re here. You didn’t want to come.”

“Well, after you left to come back to LA, I decided that I wanted to be here for you because you were so wonderful the whole time you were at my place and I may or may not have stolen your sister's number from your phone and I called her and asked if she would help surprise you,” Betty explained.

“You’ve known you were coming this entire 5 weeks?” he asked, incredulous. He turned to glare at Jellybean who smirked at him. 

“Yes,” Betty said with a smile. Jughead turned back to her and took her hands and looked her over once more, his eyes heated and aroused. 

“You look incredible,” he breathed. “And really fucking naked.”

“She’s covered enough,” JB insisted. “Now, if you don’t mind, grab your suit and go get yourself dressed and then Heidi will fix your hair,” she said, motioning to the young woman waiting to do just that. Jughead didn’t want to let go of Betty, almost afraid she would disappear if he did but he reluctantly made his way into the bedroom to change.

Betty took a deep breath and smiled at Jellybean. 

“Well, he managed to not maul you, but he looks like he’s barely holding it together,” the woman said with a laugh. “I think we hit a home run with that whole look. How are you doing? Still nervous or better now that he’s here.”

“Better now that he’s here,” Betty admitted. She looked toward the bedroom and smiled. “I’m going to go help him,” she said softly.

“Please come out still looking fabulous and not like you’ve been ravaged,” JB sighed. Betty bit her lip and held back a laugh as she went to the bedroom, careful to not trip over her dress. Jughead was wearing only his suit pants and the sight of his lean hard torso made her stomach clench. He looked up as she closed the door and she walked over to him slowly and when she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. Jughead let out a long breath, his arms coming around her and holding her close.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” he said gruffly, his hand stroking over the bare skin of her back. Betty leaned back and smiled at him, the blue of his eyes making her stomach flutter as he stared at her, his gaze full of desire.

“Jellybean said that this makeup is water proof and kiss proof and it won’t smu…mmmph…..” she never got to finish her sentence as his mouth covered hers, his hands coming up to cup her face. Betty rested hers on his neck and kissed him back eagerly, the desire instantly flaring to life inside her. When his tongue ran over her lip, she opened quickly, her tongue meeting his, his groan getting lost in the dark cavern of her mouth. When his hands moved down and brushed along the sides of her breast, she whimpered and tugged on his hair before letting her hands roam over him. Betty realized they were quickly losing control and wrenched her mouth away and he took a deep shuddering breath, his eyes smoldering with so much heat she felt suddenly scorched.

“Christ, you should have told me last night,” he groaned. “How the hell am I going to keep my hands off you all night? At least we could have taken the edge off a little.”

“Yes, I realize my mistake now,” Betty replied, trying to catch her breath, her hands running over his chest and down his front. He grabbed her hand when she reached the pants and shook his head. 

“No teasing, I’m already hard and we won’t leave this fucking room if you do that,” he growled. Betty bit her lip and turned to walk to the door, the heels putting a little extra sway in her hips.

“For God’s sake,” Jughead grumbled. “Every guy around is going to be staring at your ass tonight and I may want to punch them. You realize that half of it is visible, right?” Betty turned at the door and smiled at him.

“Let them look,” she said with a wink. “Just remember this ass is coming home with you.” 

“If I survive long enough until we get back here,” he muttered and she giggled and walked back into the living room.

“For fuck’s sake Jughead,” Jellybean yelled. “How in God’s name did you manage to kiss off movie strength kiss proof lipstick?”

“She tastes good,” he shouted back and Betty stood there blushing as her lipstick was quickly reapplied. When he came out of the bedroom and they fixed his hair, Betty had to take a few breaths as he made her heart race. Jughead all dressed up looked better in person than any picture she had ever seen of him. He walked over to her and took her hands and she couldn’t seem to stop staring at him. He smiled and brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek and she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his thumb brushing across her cheekbone. She trembled a little and he rested his forehead against hers, trying to calm her down. “You’ll be okay?” he asked, his concern evident. She nodded and he gave her a soft kiss and she felt his calm seep into her. She understood then what Jellybean meant. She didn’t understand this quick and deep connection they had either, but it was there and she hoped it would always be there.

“Jug, you guys need to head to the limo,” his sister said softly, almost hating to intrude on the intimate moment. Jughead pulled back and nodded.

“Ready?” he asked with a smile. Betty took his hand and followed him out of the room.

 

An hour and a half later, their limo was third in line to have them step out on the red carpet and Betty sat, clenching her hand into a fist, while the other clutched Jughead’s. She could hear the crowd and all she saw was flashing lights and she was suddenly nauseous.

“Are you okay?” Jughead asked softly as he stroked his thumb over her hand. “You don’t have to do this, Betty. I’ll just tell the driver to keep driving and we’ll go back to the hotel and get you out of that dress,” he suggested. Betty smiled and took a deep breath.

“No, this is your night and you deserve the recognition. I’ll be okay, I’m just nervous.”

“I promise I won’t let go of your hand,” Jughead said, lifting it and placing a kiss on the back of it. “There will be questions about who you are, what do you want me to say?”

“If you say girlfriend it would only make people more curious and try digging, right?” she asked shakily.

“Yes, that’s probably right.”

“Would it be okay if you just said I was a friend?” she asked hopefully.

“Of course,” he smiled. “As much as I want to scream to the world that you’re my girl, I know this is a huge deal to you and I would never want you any more anxious than you already are.”

“I’m your girl?” she asked with a smile.

“I hope so,” Jughead said softly, squeezing her hand. “You are, right?”

“Well, I don’t know. Are you my guy?” she asked with a giggle. 

“Completely.” 

Betty flushed and leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. She knew he wanted more but she didn’t want to have to reapply the lipstick JB had given her every five minutes. She placed her fingers on his mouth and he kissed them.

“Later,” she whispered, the promise clear. Suddenly it was their turn and Jughead turned to look at her, giving her hand another squeeze. 

“You ready?” he asked. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Try to keep your gaze down or anywhere but the cameras. You aren’t used to the lights and you’ll go flash blind quickly if you look at the press. I won’t let go of your hand, so if things seem a little blurry, just squeeze and I’ll make sure it’s all good. Okay?” She nodded and Jughead opened the limo door and got out and the crowd went crazy. He held out his hand to her and she put her perfectly manicured hand in his and allowed him to help her out of the car and then the cameras went crazy.

Betty held tightly to his hand and he walked the carpet, posing for whoever yelled at him and waving to fans. Everywhere he stopped to talk to the press, their immediate question was “Who’s your date?” Jughead simply replied she was a friend and when they prodded, he moved on. She stood quietly, wondering if all the flashing lights was making her dress more see through and almost groaned. She hadn’t thought of that and was starting to regret her choice. 

“You’re stunning and everyone is staring,” Jughead said against her ear with a smile. She bit her lip and smiled as she leaned close.

“I’m pretty sure they can see right through this damn dress,” Betty said with a chuckle.

“You can’t on the important spots and believe me, I tried,” he teased. Betty flushed and leaned into him, suddenly oblivious to the yelling crowd and questions about who she was being yelled at him. Jughead stared into her eyes, before dropping his gaze to her mouth. “You know, you’re not making it easy for me to pretend that you’re just a friend,” he murmured in her ear. “I’m pretty sure they can all see how much I want to tear this dress off.”

“Well, later you can do just that,” she promised. Jughead let out a frustrated groan and kept moving along the carpet. They finally got to the end and Betty felt her black sparkling clutch vibrate. She pulled out her phone and saw a text from Veronica.

 

 _OH MY GOD BETTY!!! I’m fucking dead!!!!_ There was a picture attached to the text and Betty was shocked that already the photos were all over the place. It was her and Jughead in what seemed like a very intimate moment. He had his hand on her back and was smiling as he whispered in her ear and she was smiling as well. She had to admit, they looked stunning and she was pleased to see that her private parts were still well covered. She turned the phone to Jughead and he smiled when he saw it.

“That’s a good picture,” he said softly, his eyes shining. Betty nodded and moved closer to him and she didn’t pull away when his arm curled around her waist. They eventually found their way to their seats for the movie and Betty thought he did an amazing job in it and joined in the standing ovation at the end. They mingled after and Jughead introduced her to some of his co-stars. With the one’s he trusted he introduced her as his girl and they were all excited to meet her and the women went nuts for her dress. 

“So, are you up for a Hollywood party?” Jughead asked when the crowd began to disperse to various parties.

“It’s your night Jughead. Jellybean said you had to go to at least one,” Betty said with a smile.

“Alright, we’ll go to the studio party, I’m pretty sure that’s where everyone is going for now. At some point in the night everyone starts going off to smaller parties but at that point I’m going to want you naked, so we’ll head back to the hotel,” he said bluntly. Betty stepped closer and brushed herself against him.

“As long as you behave till then,” she said coyly, her eyes teasing and he let out a frustrated sigh.

“I’m seriously going to kick my sister’s ass,” he growled. “Wasn’t there any gowns that didn’t show off that body? I’m seriously dying here and I’ve already had to glare at half the men in here.” Betty squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. She figured that even from the one picture that Veronica had sent her, nobody would be fooled that they were just friends, so she did her best to calm himself.

“Let’s get to that party and then you can take this naughty dress off me,” she suggested. Jughead grinned and had their limo called up.

 

The party was everything Betty thought a Hollywood party would be. Glitz and glamour everywhere. Even the food was beautiful. And tiny. Finger food that you’d have to eat piles of to even feel full. There were tables with comfortable chairs though and for that she was grateful. Her feet were killing her. Betty had no idea how anybody walked around in heels all the time. Jughead sat beside her, leaning back in his seat and stretching his legs in front of him, loosening his tie and pulling it off and unbuttoning a couple of buttons.

“Only good thing about an after party is that you can loosen the noose a little,” he laughed and her eyes devoured the skin he uncovered. He noticed and winked at her, his hand sneaking under the table and resting on her thigh, squeezing gently. She let out a breath and put her hand on top of his. “I’m thinking that you’re as eager to get back to that hotel as I am,” he teased.

“I haven’t touched you in five weeks, Jug, and we’ve been talking on the phone and texting and video chatting and I’m literally on the verge of losing my mind,” she said truthfully, her entire body buzzing with need. 

“Well, maybe I should tell you to behave,” he said as he leaned close, his eyes on her mouth. 

“Jug,” she whimpered, wanting to close the two inch gap between their mouths. “Is there press in here?” she asked.

“Probably,” he answered, his eyes still on her mouth. 

“Get me a drink before I make an ass of myself and climb you,” she said, frustrated. Jughead let out a soft laugh and her entire body clenched. He winked and got up and headed to the champagne bar while she did her best to calm herself.

Jughead was grinning to himself as he motioned for a couple drinks once he got up to the bar. 

“Well, she’s quite lovely, Jughead, even in a trashy dress.” Jughead gritted his teeth. Of course she was fucking here, he thought. He turned and gave a stiff smile to Sabrina. 

“Watch your mouth,” he said angrily. “Or are you jealous that you’re not getting all the attention tonight?”

“If being a clueless bimbo on your arm is what gets her attention, well good for her,” Sabrina said, her eyes snapping and Jughead knew he had hit a nerve.

“Well, for one, she’s far from clueless and smarter than you could ever hope to be and if being stunning and graceful is what makes a woman a bimbo according to you, well I guess you’re right, since she is the most stunning woman in here and possessed a grace that you could never hope to have. Not only that, but she has more kindness, gentleness and beauty in her entire being than you carry in your pinky nail. You have zero class Sabrina and you never did and I can’t believe I was so blind that I didn’t see you for the vulture you are. I hope you have a nice life because you will never in your entire life, measure up and become even close to the amazing woman that she is,” Jughead said, his voice laced with pity and anger. Sabrina was furious and wisely said nothing and he turned and walked away from her.

Jughead brought Betty her drink and she smiled and took a sip. He sat down and took her hand and she studied his face.

 

“How is Sabrina?” she asked quietly and he sighed, having hoped she hadn’t seen the woman.

“Being a bitch as usual,” he muttered. 

“Hey,” she said softly and he turned to look at her. “Do you have to stay at this party?” 

“No, I don’t,” he smiled. 

“Well, then how about we get out of here and get me out of this dress,” Betty said, trailing her hand down his arm. Jughead grinned and leaned close, his hand moving to rest on her bare back and his fingers sliding slightly under the lace. She shivered and bit her lip, her eyes moving to his mouth. 

“Let me just go say goodbye to a couple of my co-stars and I’ll be right back,” he said, his voice husky and low. She nodded and he got up and hurried away. She stood and picked up her clutch when a man walked up to her with a smile and a drink in his hand.

“That’s a really great dress you’re wearing,” he said, his smile widening a little more than necessary. 

“Thanks,” Betty said nervously, curling her fingers around her clutch. 

“Can I get you a drink?” he asked.

“I’m alright, thanks. Just waiting for my date.”

“Ah, yes, Jughead Jones,” the man nodded. “He won’t mind, how about a dance?” he asked, motioning to the dance floor.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Betty said, trying to remain pleasant. She was starting to feel uncomfortable and looked around for Jughead.

“Come on, it’s just one dance,” the man insisted, grabbing her arm. Betty tried to pull away but he only tightened his hold. “You don’t have to be such an uptight bitch,” he said, as if that would help his case. 

“Hey! Let go of her,” Jughead snapped as he suddenly appeared. He stepped between them and gave the guy a shove, his eyes furious.

“I was just asking the lady to dance,” the man said with a laugh.

“And she said no, and don’t fucking put your hand on her,” Jughead said angrily. Betty took his hand and gave a gentle squeeze and he stepped back beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist. 

“Wow, possessive for ‘just friends’,” the man laughed as he backed away.

“Asshole,” Jughead muttered, turning to Betty. “Are you okay?” he asked softly. She touched his face and forgot about caring about camera’s and she leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss. 

“Let’s get out of here,” she breathed, suddenly desperate to be alone with him. He nodded quickly and they went to find their limo. Fifteen minutes later the limo finally arrived and Jughead helped her in and climbed in after her. As soon as they pulled away from the entrance, Betty checked to make sure the screen to the driver was closed and moved to press her lips against Jughead’s. His arm came around her and he hauled her onto his lap, his mouth moving hungrily over hers. He pulled at the skirt of the dress until he had it pulled high enough so she could straddle his lap and his hands could smooth over her skin.

“I have been aching for you all night,” he muttered against her mouth, his fingers sliding into the lace of the dress and caressing her lower back. “I still can’t believe you’re here. How long are you here? Because I was going to fly to New York and drive to you tomorrow.” Betty leaned back and held his face in her hands, her thumbs caressing his cheeks.

“I’m here until Monday so we can lay in bed and eat room service for an entire day without interruption.”

“God, that sounds amazing,” he replied, his hands sliding up her sides and he frowned when he tried to slide them under the lace at her chest. “Why am I locked out?” he asked, his eyes dropping to the dress. Betty let out a giggle and pulled at the material.

“It’s double sided tape so I wouldn’t fall out,” she explained. 

“Well, now I want you to fall out,” he said with a frown. Betty pulled gently at the edge of the dress and it pulled away from her skin and she peeled the tape off the dress and rolled it up and put it in the cup holder on the side. She let out a shaky sigh when his hand immediately slid inside and cupped her breast, his thumb stroking over her nipple.

“We know each other really well now, right?” she asked breathlessly as she pressed soft delicate kisses on his mouth. “Is sex back on the table?”

“Or the couch?” he teased. Betty laughed at his reference to their time at the resort. “You know,” he remarked, his hands slipping out of her dress and resting on her hips. “We’ve been doing this “we don’t need to have sex” thing basically since we met. It’s pretty safe to say that that never works out and we should just put it to rest.” Betty grinned and nodded. She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. 

“How much further,” she whispered against his neck, her fingers loosening a couple of his shirt buttons, her hand sliding inside to touch his skin.

“Ten minutes,” he said softly, kissing her bare shoulder. When they arrived, the limo parked in the underground parkade right next to an unattended elevator so that they wouldn’t have to walk through the lobby and bring attention to themselves. The ride up had Betty pressed against the wall while Jughead devoured her mouth, his hands all over her. They barely heard the elevator signaling the stop and managed to quickly straighten their appearance in case someone was there. There wasn’t and they spent a good five minutes walking 10 feet to the room door as Jughead couldn’t seem to stop kissing her.

Once inside the room, Betty was amazed at how clean it was once again, all evidence of the early days chaos gone. She dropped her clutch and stepped out of her shoes with a grateful sigh.

“I don’t know how these women do it,” she sighed. “My feet are killing me.” Jughead shrugged out of his jacket and threw it on the couch and walked over to her, his hands sliding down her arms.

“So, Miss Betty Cooper, am I invited to spend the night?” he asked with a grin. Betty smiled coyly and played with the collar of his shirt, her fingers teasing his skin.

“Well, I don’t know, I don’t usually bring men to my hotel rooms,” she teased. 

“What if I promise you multiple orgasms,” he murmured against her neck and Betty whimpered, sagging against him. 

“Okay, you can stay,” she breathed. He leaned back and grinned and she rolled her eyes. “Let me just go wash all this crap off my face.”

“Okay,” he smiled, stepping back. Betty picked up her skirt and went into the bedroom to the ensuite. She raised an eyebrow at the amount of face products sitting on the counter and picked up a note Jellybean had left.

_Hope you had an amazing time and it will take all this to clean the goop off your face. It’s all yours to keep when you’re done._

She had included directions and what products to use where and how and it took Betty a good 10 minutes to get the makeup off and to get her face scrubbed clean. When she was finished she looked in the mirror and suddenly got nervous. There she was, the plain, even if pretty, mom of two that had no business being here and didn’t look at all like she belonged with this crowd. She wondered nervously which Betty Jughead preferred. She knew he thought she was beautiful, but he’d been so enraptured with her all night and how she looked, she now wondered if that’s who he preferred. The dress now looked like it didn’t belong on her.

Betty stepped out of the bathroom and stood and watched Jughead as he finished a text on his phone and then turn it off. He looked up at her and grinned and the grin slowly turned to concern when he saw how nervous she was. Standing and clenching her hands in front of her.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked softly, walking over to her.

“I just….” Betty stopped and took a deep breath. “I just took off all the makeup and my regular face appeared and I got a little self conscious,” she admitted.

“Why?” Jughead asked, genuinely confused. “You’re beautiful Betty.”

“Yes, you keep saying that and I believe you mean it, but the way I looked tonight, the way you looked at me, the way I seemed to fit into this world, I guess I was just wondering which Betty you preferred, now that you’ve seen both,” she said in a whisper, staring at the floor.

“Are you kidding?” he asked. “Yes, you looked amazing tonight. Stunning even, but I know it’s just makeup and a basic costume, just like everyone else there. If you think I would prefer that over seeing your beautiful face all clean and fresh, then maybe you don’t know me that well yet,” he said, a little put off. Betty’s eyes filled with tears, feeling bad for having upset him. 

“I didn’t mean to make you upset,” she said shakily. “I just watched you tonight and you looked so at home with all those people and yes, I had a wonderful time, but it’s not something I could do often and you seemed like a natural and I guess, I sort of feel like if you’re with me, you’d eventually feel like maybe you’re slumming it a little,” she finished in a whisper.

“Jesus, Betty,” he sighed, stepping closer and taking her face in his hands. “Do you want to know what I feel when I’m with you?” he asked. She nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. “When I kiss you, I can taste the next 60 years of my life, Betty. When I touch you, I can feel the next 60 years of my life. When I saw you that day, standing in your kitchen, half dressed in a stained sweater and a kid hanging off your waist, looking like you were about to pass out, I saw the next 60 years of my life.” Betty let out a sob as his words seeped into her heart, breaking it wide open and he walked right in. “I look into the future Betty and all I see is you. You and me and the girls, hell, maybe even a few more kids and yes, it’s completely inappropriate to even say shit like that so soon, but that’s what I see. I see us together, away from all this and in all the instances I named, you don’t have an ounce of makeup on.” Betty then let out a happy laugh and he rested his forehead on hers, breathing her in.

“Jug,” she breathed, her heart hammering in her chest.

“I want this Betty. Fuck, you don’t know how bad I want this. I’m not _trying_ anymore, I’m not _seeing_ anymore if this can work. It can and it will. I’m in this Betty. I want this and I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. So if you don’t, then you need to tell me right now because I can promise you, I am not going anywhere if you’ll have me. This world that you think I love so much, it’s nothing. I’m not asking you to live in my world Betty, I’m asking you if I can live in yours.” Betty couldn’t get her mouth to speak so she grabbed his face and kissed him with all the passion and desire that she could muster. He pulled back and grinned at her. “Is that a yes?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Yes,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing into him. Jughead kissed her hungrily, his hands gripping her waist before moving up to hold her head and tilting it to deepen the kiss. She opened her mouth for his tongue, moaning as it sank into her mouth, licking into the dark corners and her entire body burst into flames of desire. When he pulled back she chased his mouth with her own and he gave in and sank into another kiss until they were both shaking. He pulled away again, his eyes dark and heavy with need as he gazed at her. Betty took deep breathes and bit her lip when his hands went to the lace straps on her shoulders and slowly pulled them down her arms. He barely had to pull and the dress floated down and landed in a red pool at her feet.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered as his eyes roamed over her nude body, clad only in a nude thong. Betty flushed at his heated gaze and was suddenly eager to see him as well and her hands went to his shirt, undoing the rest of the buttons and pushing it off his shoulders. He shrugged out of it while she got to work on his belt, pulling it from the loops and undoing his button and zipper. She smiled shyly at him and pushed him back toward the bed and a smile played on his lips as he let her shove him onto the bed, landing on his back, his legs hanging off the edge. She pulled his pants off and left him in his black boxer briefs and bit her lip as her eyes devoured his body.

“You are sexy as fuck,” she breathed, reaching out to touch him, her hand stroking over his torso. She climbed on top of him, settling her core against him and grinned down at him, moving teasingly against him. Jughead let out a breath and closed his eyes, his body hardening in a rush. “You know, I have you exactly where I want you,” she teased. Jughead laughed and ran his hands over her thighs that rested on either side of him. His eyes darkened as they ran over her, perched on top of him. She saw the need in his eyes and moved teasingly against him and his laughed morphed into a groan and he gripped her hips, holding her still.

Betty leaned down and kissed his, stroking her tongue over his lips, dipping inside his mouth and curling it around his. His hands moved up the sides of her body and she let her mouth trail down his neck and slowly kissed her way down his body. His muscles clenched and trembled as she moved lower. Sitting up, she smiled at him and tugged on his boxers, pulling them off his body. He looked at her through hooded eyes, his breathing shallow.

“There’s something in here I’ve been waiting for a few weeks,” she said with a smile.

“Shit,” he groaned when her hand wrapped around him. She moved it slowly, holding his gaze and he shuddered, not daring to look away. She leaned down, still watching him and ran her tongue over the tip and he moved his hand, tangling it in her hair. Her tongue wrapped around him and Jughead about lost his mind. She dragged it from base to tip and then took him deep in her mouth and he moved his hips in reflex as she used her hand, moving it with her mouth over him and worked him into a frenzy. 

“Betty,” he gasped, grasping her head and moved against her. “I’m….I can’t….” Jughead groaned and then gasped when she quickly pulled away, leaving him hanging seconds from release. “Fuck!” he grunted and she wrapped her hand around him, squeezing.

“Don’t come yet,” she whispered in a sultry voice and he had to summon every ounce of will power he had to hold it back, swallowing hard. He groaned as she lowered her head and gave a few teasing licks and then took him deep, sucking hard and he couldn’t hold it anymore, no matter how he tried and he shook as she pulled his release from him. He lay gasping for breath as she gently moved her mouth over him, almost soothing while he tried to gather his wits about him. Jughead moved suddenly and she found herself flat on her back, with him leaning over her. 

Betty shivered at the hungry look in his eyes and he took her mouth in a desperate kiss. His tongue curled around hers and he kissed her until she could barely breathe. When he let go she was gasping and his mouth moved down her neck, sucking at the skin where her pulse went crazy. Her body felt like it was on fire as his hand came up and stroked over her breast, pinching lightly at the nipple and he squeezed her, groaning at the feel of her soft, smooth skin. He lifted his head and paused for a moment and just looked at her. Her chest heaving, her coral nipples straining for him and he lowered his mouth and touched his tongue lightly to one and she whimpered, lifting her back. He ignored her and moved down, dragging his tongue along the crease where her breast joined her torso, leaving gentle bites in his wake and she squirmed, trying to tug his mouth up.

“Please,” she gasped, begging him to put his mouth to her and she groaned when his tongue raked over her nipple. He finally took it in his mouth sucking gently and she bucked against him. He spent long moments driving her completely crazy until she was pulling on his hair before he slowly kissed his way down. He grinned up at her as he tugged on the underwear and pulled it off. His hand moved up the inside of her thigh, pushing it wide and he leaned up and knelt between her legs, looking down at her. She was glistening and aching for him. Jughead caught her gaze and reached his fingers to touch her gently and she moaned, her hips lifting to him. She held his gaze, taking deep shuddering breaths.

“You are so beautiful,” he said again, his breath lodged in his throat.

“Please Jug,” she moaned as his fingers teased her, stroking lightly and pulling back. He watched her face as he slid a finger inside her, then another. Her head fell back as she arched, her eyes closing, a moan leaving her lips, her legs falling wide. He looked down, watching as his fingers moved in and out of her, his thumb finding her swollen clit and then he leaned down and flicked over her, groaning at the wet heat that covered his tongue. 

“You taste so fucking good,” he groaned, his mouth latching over her, sucking at her clit. Betty cried out and bucked up against him. Her fingers tangled in his hair as he pulled out his fingers and replaced them with his tongue, pressing high inside her. 

“Fuck, Jug,” she gasped. “I want more.” He pushed her thighs further apart and his tongue moved between pressing inside her and swirling up and around her clit. She was sobbing as he brought her to the edge and then pulled away just as she was about to release, biting her thigh. “Please!” she whimpered, her whole body shaking. Jughead thrust his fingers inside her, curling, pressing hard and his mouth latched over her clit and he sucked and she splintered apart, her thighs clenching his head. Jughead pushed them apart again and his mouth didn’t stop. His fingers moved quickly inside her, his mouth and tongue moving and swirling over her and her second orgasm quickly chased the first and he growled when she clenched again, her cries echoing around the room. 

Betty lay shuddering and was barely aware as he kissed his way up her body, pausing to suck her nipples into his mouth, his tongue circling, his teeth nipping. His mouth found hers again and he brushed over her and she moaned, arching up against him. When he reached over to the side, she put her hand on his and stopped him.

“You don’t need it,” she said softly as he was about to grab a condom.

“Well, I know I saw kids in the future, but I didn’t really mean right now,” he said with a smile. 

“You don’t need it because I went on the pill after you left last time. You don’t need to wear a condom and you don’t need to pull out,” she whispered, her foot stroking up his leg. Jughead stared down at her, his eyes dark and hungry. She arched slowly, his arousal stroking over her. “I want to feel you, Jug. I want you inside me.”

Jughead held her gaze and slowly sank into her, his head dropping to her shoulder, a groan leaving his lips as her wet heat surrounded. 

"God, you so wet and tight every time I'm inside you," he growled, and her legs wrapped legs around him, as she lifted wildly to him. He braced on his hands and started to move, his eyes burning into hers as she rose and fell with him. Her hands moved over him, touching him everywhere she could reach before coming up and holding his face, the feel of him thrusting deep inside her making her body shake, the ache once again uncoiling in her stomach and pooling between her legs. He lowered his forehead to hers, his thrusts picking up speed, his breath coming in gasps.

“You belong to me,” he whispered against her mouth. “Promise me that you belong to me,” he pleaded.

“I’m yours, Jug,” Betty moaned, his words causing her body to clench with need. “I promise, I’m yours.”

“Don’t come yet,” he gasped against her when he felt her body tighten. Betty tried to hold it back and she felt the heat start to uncoil inside her, her whole body going tense. It slowly moved up her body and she felt completely overwhelmed and tried to hold it back.

“Jug,” she gasped, clawing at him. “It’s too much….” She cried out, pushing away and pulling him close at the same time.

“I’ve got you, hon,” he said gruffly and she shook her head, her eyes filling with tears, feeling completely overwhelmed. Jughead eased his movement slightly and moved his hand between them, gently circling her clit. “It’s ok love, let go, I promise I’ve got you,” he whispered against her mouth. He flicked his finger over her and Betty shattered, clamping down on him like a vice and he groaned loudly, holding still while she pulled on him.

“Fucking hell,” He gasped, having never felt her tighten so hard on him. She was sobbing and clinging to him and he moved quickly, and Betty slowly came to her senses and realized he was holding back as well. She took his face in her hands and stared at him and he shuddered against her. “Are you sure?” he gasped out, his face almost pained from holding back. “I can pull out.”

“No,” she said quickly, pulling his mouth down for a kiss. “Come inside me,” she gasped when he thrust hard against her. Jughead groaned into her mouth and his body released in a rush, his hands clenching the sheets as he shook against her.

“Fuck,” he whimpered into her hair as his body pulsed in an orgasm that shook him to his core. He moved through it, desperate to feel every bit of it, her body still fluttering around him, pulling him deep. When he could no longer hold himself up he collapsed on top of her, trying to breathe again. After a while he noticed she was crying and slowly pulled back. He looked down at her, his face worried.

“Are you ok?” he asked gently, touching her face. She nodded and hiccupped, unable to speak. She had a death grip on him, her arms and legs still wrapped around him and when they finally loosened, he slowly pulled away and rolled to the side and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “That was amazing,” he breathed, kissing her forehead. She again could only nod. When she finally calmed down she looked at him and touched his face.

“Will you come home with me,” she whispered, her eyes shining and her heart happy.

“Absolutely,” he whispered back and kissed her once more. 

 

Two days later they went home. 3 hours apart and on separate flights to keep the media away as they were already in a frenzy over the mystery woman on the arm of Jughead Jones. When he knocked on the door a few hours after she got home, she pulled him inside her home and into her arms. Two little girls ran in excitement to greet him and Jughead had never felt so happy in his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg!! Thanks so much for taking this journey with me and stay tuned for the epilogue and glimpses into the life of Jughead and Betty as they begin their life together.


	11. Happy Moments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was supposed to be an epilogue but it got so dang long, lets just call it...The Final Chapter
> 
> There is so much in this chapter...I just couldn't help myself!!
> 
> Hope you like these happy moments!

Life with Jughead was more than Betty had ever dreamed about or wished for herself. Or for her girls for that matter. She was of course nervous in the beginning, almost like she was waiting for him to change his mind, to want his movie star life back, to get sick of the quiet life that he told her he wanted. That never happened as he settled in with seemingly no regrets. He of course still had commitments that kept him going back and forth a couple of times a month, but he basically set up shop in Riverdale. 

Nobody in the sleepy town seemed to realize they had a celebrity among them. After the premiere, there was an entire month of people trying to figure out who she was, but when Jughead seemingly disappeared from the public eye, after a while, the gossip rags moved on and it seemed he was right, people stopped caring. Of course, his fans were as loyal as ever and there was constant chatter about where he could be, what he was doing, why he was only in LA a couple of times a month, but for the most part, people left him alone. In Riverdale, if anyone realized who he was the few times they went out to eat or went shopping or ran errands, nobody mentioned anything and while Betty was holding her breath and waiting for her town to be invaded by press, it never happened.

When she introduced him to her mother, Alice Cooper was surprisingly unaffected by who he was and welcomed him into her home and giving her blessing when she saw how much he cared for Betty and her girls.

The first couple of months he stayed at the inn so as to not confuse the girls as to why he was suddenly always there. Betty wanted to ease them into the idea that she was in a relationship with Jughead. Not that they really understood what that meant, but she was nervous about having them finding him in her bed in the mornings, so he always went back to the inn for the night. When he did fly back to LA, he was gone for a few days each time and when he was gone, it felt like a part of her was missing.

After one particularly long photoshoot job he had and had been gone for a week and a half, their night of passion at his return was so intense that they fell asleep in exhaustion and forgot all about him going back to the inn. The next morning, when the twins climbed into her bed, he was right next to her.

“Mama, did Jughead forget to go home?” Sophie asked in surprise. Jughead had looked at her with a wince, barely wake.

“Oh man,” he muttered, sitting up and looking at Betty sheepishly. “Sorry,” he whispered. She smiled and pulled Sophie onto her lap and Gracie planted herself in Jughead’s lap and he simply put his arm around her and held her without a second thought. Betty bit her lip as she looked at them, at all four of them sitting on her bed.

“Well, Sophie, Jughead is mommy’s boyfriend and sometimes he likes to sleep over,” she said, holding his gaze. “Do you know what a boyfriend is?”

“Aunt V had boyfriend. He kissed her. Do you kiss mommy?” Gracie asked, looking at Jughead. He looked at Betty and she just grinned.

“Well, yes, I do,” he said with a chuckle. The girls looked at each other and made faces.

“Ewwww,” they exclaimed at the same time and Betty burst out laughing. 

“You little imps,” she said, starting to tickle Sophie. “Kisses aren’t ‘ewww’, you like mommy’s kisses,” she insisted, proceeding to place them all over the little girl's face. Sophie squealed and did her best to get away from her mom and Grace jumped to her rescue, laughing and giggling as they wiggled to get off the bed. They managed to get away and ran laughing from the room back to their own. Jughead grinned and suddenly Betty found herself on her back with him looming over her.

“I like mommy’s kisses,” he teased and she grinned, pulling him down for a lusty and thorough kiss. That day, Jughead checked out of the inn and brought his bags to her home and that’s where he stayed when he didn’t have to leave for work.

 

They had their inevitable first fight, and interestingly enough, their first admission of love about 2 months after he essentially moved in. Betty was actually surprised that it took that long for them to have a fight. They were both tired; her from working a long day at the paper and coming home to very hyper children and him from the long flight he had just had flying back from a shoot in Australia. He had given her a long kiss and flopped down on the couch and she worked on finally getting the girls to sleep and he had left his bags right in front of the door and for whatever reason, it irritated her more than it should have. 

“Can you clean up your shit?” she asked, her annoyance evident in her tone. Jughead looked up from the couch and glanced at the bags.

“Yeah, I’ll get to it,” he sighed, laying back down.

“Do it now,” she insisted. “It’s bad enough I have to clean up after the girls, I don’t exactly feel like cleaning up after you.” Jughead sighed and got up.

“What’s with you?” he asked with a glare. “I just wanted to chill for a bit and I don’t expect you to clean up after me.”

“I thought that’s what big stars were used to,” she snapped and sighed, immediately regretting her words. 

“Jesus Christ,” he huffed angrily. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“Jug, I didn’t mean….”

“No, I think you did,” he interrupted. “I think you did mean it. You thing I don't notice how reserved you are, how you’re holding back because you think I’m going to decide this isn’t enough for me? Your head is so stuck in the fact that I’m a celebrity that you’re constantly waiting for me to want all that life back and you won’t just let yourself relax and completely be with me.”

“Of course I’m completely with you, you live with me for goodness sake,” she said angrily. 

“That doesn’t mean shit and you know it. I know you’re waiting for me to get tired of what you think is _slumming it_ and run back to California,” Jughead insisted, just as angry. “When the hell will you realize that I meant what I said? You’re it for me, Betty. How can you not know that? Don’t you know yet that I love you?” he asked, sounding a little broken. 

“No, Jughead, I don’t know that,” Betty snapped. “Because you’ve never said it!” Jughead went still and he looked at her in surprise and she was suddenly grinning. She waited for him to snap out of it and rolled her eyes after a few moments. “Tell me again, you idiot,” she sighed. Suddenly he was grinning too and he hurried over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her against him.

“I love you,” he said softly, the truth of it in his eyes.

“Again,” she murmured. His smile grew bigger and he rested his forehead against hers.

“I love you,” he whispered. 

“I love you too,” Betty whispered back, her arms going around his neck and hugging him tight. “You want to go to bed?” she asked softly, placing gentle kisses on his mouth. He smiled against her lips and lifted her a little higher, heading down the hall. 

“What about the bags?” he teased, returning her kisses with his own.

“They will still be there in the morning,” she smiled. 

“I thought the point was to clean them up?” Jughead said with a smirk as he entered the bedroom. 

“I was just bitchy,” Betty sighed. “I’d much rather go to bed and show you how much I love you.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked softly, setting her down on the bed and coming down over her. He gave her a soft kiss and braced on his hands and looked down at her. “I do love you Betty, very much and I promise I’m not going anywhere. I just want to be with you.” Betty’s eyes filled with tears and she framed his face with her hands.

“I’m sorry if it seems like I’m waiting for you to leave. I may have been nervous in the beginning, but I saw after a while that you had no regrets and honestly, I don’t know why I said what I said, probably just something easy for me to throw at you when I’m annoyed and I’m sorry,” she said with a grimace. 

“So you don’t think I’m a spoiled little rich boy?” he asked with a chuckle, lowering his head and placing kisses along her jaw and kissing away the few tears that had leaked from her eyes. 

“Well, maybe a little,” she teased, moving against him and giggling at his low groan when her body cuddled his. She let out a sigh of happiness and hugged him close for a minute, trying to figure out how she had gotten so blessed to have him in her life and to have him love her.

“What was that you said about showing me how much you love me?” he asked softly, lifting his head and smiling at her. The intense look in his eyes made her entire body ache and she knew that he was it for her as well. Her life would never be the same and it was because of him. Betty smiled and pushed him onto his back and he relaxed into the sheets and she proceeded to make him completely lose his mind.

 

As far as them living together, Betty wasn’t sure how to approach the subject about whether or not he actually was calling her home his home base or if he still considered California his home and he was just _visiting_ his girlfriend when he would stay for a few weeks at a time. He went back and forth a lot, but he lived out of suitcases and none of his actual things were in her home and she wondered if it would ever feel like he was completely moved in. She got her answer three months after he told her he loved her.

He asked her if she would like to go for a ride on a particularly lazy Saturday afternoon and the girls jumped up and down in excitement. They loved nothing more than to go for a ride in the Jeep that he had driven across country to have in Riverdale. They all climbed in and at first Betty thought they were simply taking a beautiful drive through the country side, following the highway that ran next to Sweetwater River. About an hour outside Riverdale, in an area that was only slightly populated with some large fancy house every once in a while, Jughead pulled onto a driveway that curved through the trees and ended on a cobble stone pad in front of a stunning timber frame and stone home. 

Jughead parked and they climbed out, the girls staring in awe at the beautiful house. Betty looked at him in confusion when he held out his hand to her and she took it and let him lead her up to the massive oak door.

“Are we visiting someone?” she asked curiously. She was even more confused when he punched a number into a keypad next to the door and she heard the click of it unlocking. Jughead opened the door and ushered them inside. Betty walked in slowly and looked around in as much awe as her children. The home was stunning. It was large, not obnoxiously large, but bigger than any home she’d ever been in and much more beautiful. Despite its rich appearance, it was homey and comfortable. There were a lot of windows, basically an entire wall of them at the back of the house in the living room with a spectacular view of a spacious yard and the river. A massive chef’s kitchen, two sets of stairs on both sides of the main room leading up to what she could only assume were stunning bedrooms and a spacious loft area.

“You like it?” Jughead asked softly as she stared at everything. Even the furniture, while quite expensive by the looks of the leather and wood, looked inviting and comfortable. This wasn’t a stuffy snotty _look at me, im rich_ home. While it was decadent, it was made for family.

“It’s beautiful Jughead,” she said honestly. “I could totally live here,” she added with a chuckle.

“Do you want to?” he asked quietly. Betty turned to him in surprise.

“What?” she whispered.

“I decided it was time to make my home base here and put down some roots. I still have my place in Malibu, but I figured that could be like our vacation home and I know this may seem way over the top, but, I mean, I have a lot of money and I can’t think of a better way to spend it then to buy you and the girls a beautiful house. You deserve it Betty. You work so hard and I know you love your little house because you worked hard for it, but I just wanted to give you something amazing and somewhere we could really thrive and possibly grow and I know the girls would love…..” he stopped talking when she started to cry. Jughead hurried over and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.

“Jug, I…” she couldn’t seem to talk as she cried into his shirt.

“It’s too much,” he sighed. “I’m sorry, I know this probably makes you uncomfortable, but we don’t have to live like we have only a little money. I have money Betty and I don’t know what to spend it on if I’m not giving you the best life I know how to give you and I just….” He stopped talking again when she shook her head and pulled back to look at him.

“You bought me a house?” she asked, trying to come to grips with what he was saying.

“Well, I want to buy us a house. We’d live here, officially, living together as a family,” he explained. She bit her lip, staring at him, her heart hammering in her chest at the magnitude of what he was saying and how much her life was about to change if she accepted his offer. “I know it’s a huge step up but I did try to find something that wasn’t over the top and ridiculous,” Jughead explained. “But like I said, I have a lot of money Betty and we can’t keep pretending that I don’t. If we’re going to be together, you have to at some point get used to the fact that you’ll be financially set and you won’t have to worry anymore about finances and whether you should buy the store brand canned goods or the name brand and you’ll just have to let me use it to make us the best life I can.”

“Jug, this is too much,” she insisted, shaking her head. She glanced at the girls to make sure they were alright, and they were, pressed against the back window and looking at a play structure in the back yard.

“Betty, do you know why after 8 months of us being together, I’m still basically living out of suitcases in your home?” he asked softly. She looked at him and shook her head.

“Because there simply isn’t any room for my things. I love your home and I know you love your home, you worked hard for it and you should be proud, but it’s small and my shit simply won’t fit. I love the normal life I’m living with you, but I have money and I have things and I want to bring my life here and if we keep living in that little house, I can’t. I have three cars and a truck and a jeep. I own a boat and several ATV’s. I have a pool table and big screen TV’s and vintage collectables. I have an entire room of books. I have……” he stopped talked when she held up her hand, her eyes wide.

“Did you get it all at Walmart?” she asked and he bit back a grin.

“Just my t-shirts,” he replied.

“Jughead?” Little Sophie came over and tugged at his hand. He squatted down and smiled at her.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Do you live here?” she asked curiously. 

“Well, right now I live with you and Gracie and mommy.”

“Who lives here?” Gracie asked.

“Nobody right now,” Jughead explained. “But I was thinking that maybe I’d like to buy it.” The little girl gasped and looked at him with wide eyes.

“Can we live with you?” she asked. Jughead grinned and stood, picking her up and holding her on his hip, his eyes returning to Betty.

“We’ll have to ask mommy,” he said softly. Sophie walked over to her and grabbed her leg. 

“Can we live here mommy?” she pleaded. 

“Are you seriously going to use the girls to gang up on me?” she asked with a laugh.

“Is it working?” he asked, his eyes filled with mirth.

“I like my house,” Betty insisted.

“Alright, different approach,” Jughead said with a squint. “If you won a huge lottery tomorrow, what’s the first thing you would do?” he asked. Betty sighed and rolled her eyes. “Tell me,” he insisted.

“I’d probably buy a new car,” Betty said, folding her arms over her chest.

“And then?”

“Set up collage funds for the girls.”

“And then?” 

“Buy fruit loops instead of fruity O’s,” Betty said, biting back a smile. Jughead raised his eyebrows and then burst out laughing. 

“I totally believe you,” he said when he managed to get a hold of himself. He put Gracie down and walked over to Betty and took her hands. “Are you telling me that you wouldn’t buy yourself a bigger house?” Betty smiled and rested her hands on his chest and slid them up and around the back of his neck, pulling herself flush against him.

“Yes, I would,” she said softly.

“What kind?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her tight.

“Probably one just like this,” she admitted.

“Did I mention it has a pool and a hot tub?” he asked, nuzzling her ear.

“You’re spoiling me,” she sighed, hugging him tighter.

“Are you letting me?” 

“Yes,” she whispered. Jughead lifted his head and searched her face, his hands coming up to hold it. 

“You’ll live here with me?” he asked, just to be sure. She bit her lip and nodded and he grinned and picked her up and twirled her around. His happy kiss was long and thorough and she had to push him away to gasp for breath and before she did something inappropriate in front of her children. 

“God,” she gasped. “Save it for later.” He grinned and kissed her again. When he pulled back she wilted against him and sighed happily. 

“I have something to show you,” he said with a smile, taking her hand and walking with her down a hall. 

“Girls, stay in the living room,” she called as they went. She was peeking into rooms as they went and saw an office, a library/study of sorts, an amazing bathroom, and they came to the end and he opened the door and let her walk in. Betty stopped and stared in surprise. It was a small music studio.

“A producer from New York owned this place and he would come here to get away when he needed quiet and he put in the studio for when some of his artists would visit. It helped me decide on this place over another I was looking at because I thought maybe one day you’d like to record a little something and share it with the world, or whoever,” Jughead said softly.

“Jughead,” she said in awe. “I…this is….”

“I know you said you didn’t want a career in music,” he interrupted quickly. “But I think you’re amazing and even if you just want to play around in here and have some fun. Hell, maybe even the girls will want to sing or….” He trailed off when she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. He closed his eyes and cradled her head with his hand, the other wrapping around her waist. “I just want to make you happy.” He said softly. Betty leaned back, her eyes swimming with tears.

“You do make me happy,” she smiled. “So so happy. This is amazing, Jug, thank you so much. I honestly don’t know how to _properly_ thank you for all this.”

“You love me and your beautiful girls love me and that’s all the thanks I need,” he whispered.

“I do love you, so much,” she said tearfully.

“I love you too,” Jughead said with a smile. “I have something else for you,” he said hesitantly. “Now, I know you’ll probably freak out and refuse, but I’m hoping you’ll accept it.”

“What?” she asked slowly. Jughead stepped back and pulled a credit card from his pocket and handed it to her. She shook her head and stepped back. “No. I have my own money.”

“Betty, I know,” he sighed. “But I see you when we go shopping you are always picking what’s cheaper, looking at things you want but can’t afford. I see the regret when you want to buy the girls something and it’s not in your budget. I see how excited you are when Veronica gives you a hand me down Kate Spade bag or Vera Wang shoes or anything designer…”

“I don’t mind hand me downs,” she said, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

“I know you don’t sweetheart and that’s what I love about you. You are so humble and you deserve the fucking world and I just want to give it to you. I know you’re not going to just go on crazy shopping sprees and start buying everything in sight but I just want you to be able to buy yourself something beautiful that you want without having to wait until Veronica is done with hers. All I’ve wanted the last few years is someone who would love me for me, someone who would see past all the bullshit and celebrity and money and just love me for who I am and I wanted to shower that person with all the love I had to give and honestly, I won’t lie, I always dreamed of showing that person the world and now I found everything I wanted in someone to love and you won’t let me take care of you. And I don’t mean that in a sexist way, like you can’t take care of yourself, because you totally can, but now, I want you to be able to relax and stop worrying. Seriously, I have so much fucking money and if I can’t spend it on my family, what the hell should I do with it?” Jughead finished with a sigh. She just stared at him for a moment, trying to digest his fervent speech. 

“We’re your family?” she asked in a whisper.

“Of course,” Jughead said firmly. “I love you girls so damn much, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” Then she was crying again and she honestly didn’t know if her heart could take any more. He was holding her again and she just cried all over his shirt. “Let me take care of you and the girls, Betts. You guys are everything to me.” She just cried harder. Jughead stopped talking and just held her until she was finished. When she finally pulled away to wipe her face, he simply held up the card and she stared at it for a minute and the slowly took it from his hand and he grinned at her.

“Thank God! First thing you need to do is go buy those Fruit Loops, cause Fruity O’s taste like shit,” he said with a sigh. Betty giggled and hugged him again. They walked back to the front and Betty looked up at him.

“What kind of cars do you have?” she asked curiously.

“Well, you can use the Lexus when the girls are with you. If you want to go to the office in style, you’re welcome to take the Ferrari or the Benz. I was thinking of getting a Rolls this year as well, or maybe a porshe,” Jughead said casually.

“Jesus!” Betty gasped, staring at him. Jughead grinned and gave her a kiss. 

“I may like cheap t-shirts from Walmart, but I like my cars expensive.” Betty sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“I guess I don’t have a choice but get used to this,” she admitted with a sigh.

“Well you always have a choice, but the other one isn’t as much fun,” he said with a wink. “Also, if you really do want to start letting me spoil you, I may or may not be planning to take you off the continent for your birthday.”

“What?” she asked in surprise.

“Wait and see,” Jughead grinned as he went to collect the girls and they headed back out to the jeep. “Start packing babe, possession date on this place is the day I sign the papers at the bank, so like, tomorrow.” Betty gazed at the home as they drove away and smiled. Life with Jughead was certainly going to be a ‘wildest dreams come true’ type life.

 

The first and second time Betty saw Jughead cry was because of the Sophie and Gracie. It started one night, a month after they were finally all moved into their new home. Jughead had been right, he had a lot of stuff, but it fit perfectly with her things in the new house. While the multi car garage with all the expensive vehicles was a sight she was still getting used to, it was the library that had her enthralled. She spent almost every evening going through all the books Jughead had and his collection was astonishing. From first addition classics, to complete unknowns, to subjects of all sorts and even some in different languages, she was in literary heaven. 

This particular evening he had chosen to write in there at the small desk instead of the office while she read on the couch because he wanted to be in the same room with her. He watched her for a while, her delicate beauty still managing to make his heart race. She looked up suddenly, as if she had felt his eyes on her.

“What are you working on?” she asked softly. Jughead shook his head and smiled softly. He had always been a bit shy about sharing his writing until he thought it was perfect. She put her book down and stood up and he smiled as she walked over to him. Pushing his chair back, he tugged her down on his lap and she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled against him. “You almost ready for bed?” she asked softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Honey, I’m always ready for bed,” he murmured back, turning his head and catching her mouth with his. They kissed languidly for a while, a slow lazy kiss that soon had him aching for more. 

“Can we go upstairs?” she whispered against his mouth when he pulled back for air. He reached around her and clicked off his laptop and stood and took her hand as they headed to their master suite. As they headed up the stairs, Sophie suddenly appeared, rubbing her eyes and clutching her stuffed animal.

“Hey sweetie, what are you doing up?” Jughead asked, hurrying up to grab her in case she fell down the stairs in her sleepy state. Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“I had a bad dream, daddy,” she whimpered fearfully. Jughead went still and looked at Betty. His heart suddenly felt like it was going to burst and his arms trembled as he held the little girl he had grown to love as if she was his own flesh and blood. He couldn’t help the tears that filled his eyes. Betty smiled and her own eyes got teary as she stroked a hand down her daughters back. 

“You want daddy to take you back to bed?” she asked softly, holding Jughead’s gaze. Sophie nodded and Jughead held her close as he carried her to her room. He got her tucked in and falling asleep when he reached over to turn the lamp off and her small voice stopped him in mid reach.

“Daddy?” Jughead swallowed and turned back to her. “Do you love mommy?”

“Yes, I love her very much,” he said with a smile as he brushed her curls back.

“And me and Gracie?”

“Yes, I love you and Gracie very much too.”

“I love you…” she whispered as she slipped into sleep. Jughead turned the lamp off and went back to his and Betty’s room and found her laying under the covers waiting for him. He got undressed and slipped into the bed and lay his head on the pillow next to hers. 

“She asleep?” Betty asked. Jughead nodded and touched a hand to her face. Even after all this time, he still couldn’t believe she was his.

“Thank you, Betty,” he said softly. She moved closer until their bodies were touching.

“What for?” she asked in a whisper.

“For loving me. For giving me a family. For letting her call me daddy,” he said, his voice shaking.

“You’re the only father they’ve ever known,” Betty said, touching his face and wiping the tear the slipped from his eye. “I have to admit, when we first started, this is what I was afraid of. That they would love you so much and start calling you daddy and I was always wondering, what if we don’t work out and they are left heart broken, but when she called you Daddy, it became completely right in that instant. When I saw the look on your face and how much that meant to you, it put everything to rest for me. We’re not ever going to lose you, are we? We’re your _forever_.”

“My forever, my everything,” Jughead said heatedly, his hand coming up to cup her face and his mouth settling over hers. She pulled him on top of her and words were forgotten and pleasure took over.

Three days later, when Jughead came home from an over night stay in New York to see his publisher, it was little Gracie that made his eyes fill with tears when she ran out the front door and into his arms as he climbed out of his Lexus.

“Daddy! I missed you,” she yelled, leaving kisses all over his face. Jughead sighed in happy contentment as he hugged her close, his eyes wet as he squeezed her.

“Daddy missed you too,” he whispered into her hair. He looked up and saw Betty leaning against the door frame, holding Sophie against her hip. Walking over, he leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss, before resting his forehead against hers.

“Welcome home, my love,” she whispered with a smile.

 

 

Due to work commitments, Jughead wasn’t able to take Betty off the continent on her birthday, but a month after a fun filled birthday party for the twins 4th birthday, Betty found herself on a balcony, enjoying the morning sunshine and gazing at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Jughead came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.

“Good morning, Beautiful,” he murmured against her skin. Betty turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him.

“Good morning, handsome,” she said happily. He kissed her, grinning against her mouth when she moved eagerly against him. He lifted her against him and moved back into the beautiful hotel room, not stopping until he fell back on the bed with her. 

“You know, this is like a one year anniversary trip,” he said with a smile. “Almost. We’ve been officially together for a little over a year.”

“Ahh, yes. I believe a month ago, it was a year since you showed up on my doorstep and changed my life,” Betty said softly, pressing soft kisses across his chest. 

“I think it’s _you_ who changed _my_ life,” Jughead said softly, his eyes staring into hers, his love and devotion to her easy to see. 

“I love you,” she whispered, pulling his face down for a long, slow kiss. 

“I love you too,” he whispered back when she let him come up for air. He rolled her onto her back and soon she was moaning and gasping his name as he slid inside her, his body trembling with desire and need for her that never seemed to dim. He wanted her always. A long while later, she lay against his side, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking and he kissed her forehead. “You going shopping today?” he asked.

“I was thinking about it. You’re coming with, right?”

“I will, but you have to promise me something,” he said softly. Betty turned to look at him. “You buy whatever you want and you don’t ask me if you can have it, or if it’s too expensive, or any of the other things you usually ask.” Betty sighed and gave him a squeeze.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to do that, it’s just….i guess I’m still getting used to it,” she admitted. “I promise I’ll buy whatever I want,” she added with a grin. They spent a wonderful day shopping and enjoying the breathtaking sites of the city and had a romantic dinner in a candle lit restaurant. They spent a week exploring as Jughead showed her all his favorite places and restaurants that he had grown to love over the years whenever he was there. He was recognized sometimes, but people were respectful most of the time and took pictures with him as he was gracious enough to allow it and Betty smiled as she watched. 

Jughead Jones, the man she had once only dared to fantasize about, was in love with her and was spending his life with her. He was showing her a world she had only dreamed of and she grew more comfortable in her new life every day. The day before had been a switch of roles with Veronica that she would have never thought would ever happen. She had sent her a picture of the Manolo Blahnik Lurum Crystal heels that she had splurged on, at a cost of $1600, and her best friend had replied with a shocked “ _I’m so FUCKING jealous!!!_ and Betty had grinned in excitement. She was attending a charity benefit in LA with Jughead in a couple of months and the shoes went with the fabulous Vera Wang gown that was being created for her.

Betty still ran the paper, and one of her articles had caught the eye of The New York Times, and she now submitted work to them as well for their online site and she was building a reputation as a wonderful writer, right next to Jughead, who’s latest book was set to debut at #1. What she didn’t tell Veronica was that she had actually bought the shoes with her own money, as she now didn’t really have to worry about that, she felt more free to either use hers or Jughead’s card if need be and there was something to be said about the relaxed feeling one got from not having to stress financially. She wished everyone could ease that burden.

 

Two months after the trip to Paris, Jughead came home from a quick trip to Florida to a scene similar to the one he had seen the day he had showed up in Riverdale. Betty was trying to wrangle two very hyper girls and there was spilled milk on the floor and the girls were crying and screaming at each other and she looked near her wits end. When he walked in she had burst into tears of relief and he hurried to gain control of the situation which ended with each girl in their room for a time out and him holding a frazzled and flustered Betty on the couch who looked like she hadn’t slept in a couple days.

“I’ve never been so happy to see you in my life,” she sighed into his chest. “They literally went nuts the minute you left the other day. It’s like ‘oh Daddy’s gone, lets drive mommy to drinking’,” she explained.

“Why didn’t you tell me they were acting up,” Jughead asked with a chuckle.

“You were working, I didn’t want your head at home when you need to meet with people,” she said with a shrug. “You know, you keep walking into the absolute craziness that life with those two can be,” she laughed. “You sure you want to stick around for another 60 years?” she joked. Jughead let his eyes take her in, the messy ponytail, the old worn out t-shirt, the tired eyes, the sexy lip pulled between her teeth and he grinned, never more sure of anything in his life.

“Actually, I think I want to marry you,” he said softly. Betty’s eyes widened and she went still, staring at him in shock.

“What?” she finally managed to strangle out. 

“I want to marry you,” he said with a smile. Betty burst into tears and glared at him.

“Are you seriously saying that to me right now? I look like crap,” she yelled.

“You look beautiful,” Jughead insisted, his smile getting bigger.

“You have a warped sense of beauty,” she mumbled as she wiped at her tear stained face. “This is something you should have said to me when we were in Paris,” she said, glaring again. Jughead pulled her onto his lap and his hands snuck under her shirt.

“I’m not that boring and cliché,” he grinned. Betty pressed her hands against his chest and studied his face and the soft and tender look in his eyes made her heart race. 

“Jug?” she whispered, her brain still trying to process what he had said to her. He held her face in his hands and kissed her with so much passion, she lost her breath. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers.

“Will you marry me?” he asked in a whisper. “I want to marry you, I want to be your husband, I want you to be my wife.”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” she whispered back, straddling his lap and kissing him with tears rolling down her face. “A million times, yes.”

“Hold that thought,” he said and set her on the couch. She frowned as he hurried down the hall and into his office and when he came back he was carrying a small package. She stared at him in surprise when he sat and once again pulled her onto his lap. He smiled and held up the small box and she bit her lip at the iconic Tiffany blue color.

“How long have you had this?” she asked breathlessly. 

“A few weeks,” he said with a smile. “I was waiting for the right moment and when I walked in the door today and saw the chaos, all I could think was how much I love you guys and how I saw my whole life with you the very first time I walked into a similar scene and well, I just had to ask you.”

“You’re such a weirdo,” she said with a tearful laugh. He opened the box and she looked down at the sparkling rock and burst into tears again. It wasn’t huge and flashy, but simple and delicate and it was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. A round diamond surrounded by tinier diamonds set on a platinum band and both their hands shook as he slipped it on her finger. 

 

After they had told the important people in their life, Betty let him post a picture on his Instagram that had his face visible as he kissed her hand, the ring in plain sight. Her hand was the only visible part of her and he captioned it _My life, my love, my happiness._ Of course, social media went ballistic. Jughead Jones, who had seemingly disappeared from the public eye, was getting married. When they appeared at the charity benefit a month later, she was on his arm and smiling with him for the cameras, and looking like herself. Since he hadn’t been on the Hollywood scene in over a year, the press wasn’t too bad and once they got home, they were left alone. Jughead finally had what he wanted; a normal life where he wasn’t hounded day and night.

Their wedding took place six months later in their back yard with only a handful of family and friends and it was perfect. Low key, no glitz and glamour, just a happy and special time where they pledged their hearts and lives to each other and there wasn’t a dry eye in attendance. Jellybean cried like a baby and Archie Andrews, who Jughead had mended fences with and was now once again good friends with, seemed to fall head over heels for Veronica Lodge. And to Betty’s surprise, her very choosy and snobby best friend seemed to feel the same. They disappeared before the party was even over.

When the party was winding down, Jughead found Betty standing by the river's edge and looking out over the water and he wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her close. She held on to his hands and sighed with happiness. They didn't need words, they had all been said. They just stood in silence for long minutes, with Jughead placing frequent kisses on her bare shoulder and Betty snuggled back against him. He didn't know if life could get any better.

 

A week later, in a beautiful bed and breakfast, nestled in the vineyards of Tuscany, Italy, Betty changed Jughead’s life once again. He was slowly peeling off her clothes, his mouth kissing every inch of skin he could find as he laid her gently on the white sheets of the massive bed. When he settled over her, she bit her lip and stilled his hand as it was about to find its way between her legs. Jughead lifted his head and looked at her, seeing the happy light in her eyes and the smile playing on her lips.

“I have something to tell you,” she whispered. He settled beside her and leaned on his elbow, looking down at her. “You know how much you love it when Gracie and Sophie call you daddy?” she asked softly. Jughead smiled and nodded. Betty took his hand and rested it over her flat stomach and let out a shaky breath. “Well, soon there will be one more to call you daddy.” Jughead stared at her, seeming to not understand what she was saying and then glanced down at his hand. His eyes flew back to hers in shock and filled with tears.

“What?” he whispered.

“We’re having a baby,” she whispered back with a smile.

“Really?” he gasped, a happy grin spreading across his face. She nodded and he kissed the breath from her lungs. “How did we get pregnant?” he asked, when he pulled back. 

“Remember when I went off the pill a couple of months ago because i wanted to let my body have a breather for a bit?” He nodded and then his eyes widened. 

“Umm, I remember you saying you did that, but I only remember using a condom that first night,” he said with a laugh.

“Yeah, we didn’t think about it after that. I don’t know if we did it on purpose, subconsciously, or we just didn’t care if I got knocked up,” Betty mused.

“Hmmm, I remember one night where I was saying I needed to grab one and you dug your nails into my back and yelled that you wanted me inside you and fuck the condoms,” he laughed. Betty grinned and he kissed her again. He proceeded to kiss his way down to her stomach and she fought tears as he whispered words of love and excitement against her skin. After a while, he came back up and kissed her again, this kiss having a completely different feel. One of heat and arousal and need.

When he kisses his way back down, he didn’t stop until his tongue was stroking over her and she cried out in pleasure as he made her fall apart before he was moving over her and slipping inside, her legs coming around him as he took her mouth in searing kiss. 

“I love you so much,” he whispered against her lips as their bodies rose and fell with each other.

“I love you Jug,” she gasped, her nails digging in as she strained against him. He reached down to stroke her, feeling his body start to tighten.

“Come with me, love, please,” he pleaded and she cried out his name as she tightened on him, pulling him over the edge with her as he spilled into her, her name falling from his lips in a whimpered gasp as he shook over her.

 

Seven months later, while the snow gently fell outside, the wails of a newborn echoed around the hall in the maternity wing of Riverdale hospital. AJ, Aiden Cooper Jones, was born after 7 hours of labour and placed into the arms of a beaming and crying Jughead Jones. He stared in awe at the tiny little boy and then placed him on the chest of an exhausted and crying Betty.

“He’s so beautiful,” Jughead whispered, touching a finger to his cheek. Betty looked at him and fresh tears came. “You did so good Betts,” he whispered, giving her a gentle kiss. 

“I love you,” she whispered happily. 

“I love you too,” Jughead said, his heart shining in his eyes.

Later that day, Jughead sat with Sophie and Gracie and introduced their brother to them. They were in love the moment they saw him and immediately started fighting over who would get to hold him first. Jughead solved the fight by hold both girls on his lap and helping them both hold AJ together and Betty rested against her hospital bed and couldn’t seem to stop crying as she watched her family. Who knew that a vacation fling could bring such incredible blessings to her life.

 

There was a small amount of news that former movie star and now critically acclaimed author and photographer Jughead Jones had a son and for those who had been quietly keeping tabs and dedicating social media pages to the little family hiding away in Riverdale, they couldn’t have been more thrilled. There was also news that his beautiful wife was possibly releasing an album of lullabies and while she was mostly unknown, the diehard Jughead Jones fans waited eagerly for another glimpse into their life, even through words of song.

 

One afternoon, Jughead came into the master suite after spending an hour in the office writing and making phone calls and he found the twins cuddling in an overstuffed chair watching a movie while Betty lay on the bed, AJ tucked up against her, fast asleep. He kissed the girls and lay down on the bed with Betty and placed a soft kiss on AJ’s cheek.

“Don’t wake him,” she whispered with a smile. Jughead leaned over and gave her a kiss as well and she touched his face to keep him there a few more moments. “You all done your work?” she asked softly.

“Yeah, had to make a couple phone calls to make sure my gift got delivered.”

“Gift?” she asked, confused.

“I bought Reggie a gift and had it delivered to Jade Springs. I figured since he’s the reason I have the most amazing family on the planet, he deserves a thank you,” Jughead explained with a smile. Betty stared at him in surprise and then let out a soft laugh.

“You had flowers delivered?” she teased.

“Well, it definately belongs in water," Jughead said with a wink.

 

Reggie Mantle stood on the dock at Jade Springs and stared in shock at the small cabin cruiser power boat that he had just signed for. He took the envelope from the delivery man and watched him walk away before he opened it. He pulled out the contents and grinned. It was a family picture worth a thousand words but at the bottom there was only four.

 **Thank you,**  
_Jughead Jones_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are once again at the end.....thanks so much for taking this journey with me!!! Stay turned for my next Bughead fic....Oops, I Think I love You......coming soon!!!


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